Motoring News Issue January 2014 Issue 1 Jan 2014 | Page 10

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Motoring News

GARMIN® SHOWCASES NEW INFOTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY FOR
AUTOMAKERS DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE DRIVER DISTRACTION
Garmin International Inc., a unit of
Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the
global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that it will showcase a
range of new infotainment technologies for automakers at the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) 2014. Designed
to minimize distractions behind the
wheel, Garmin will present an interactive head-up display (HUD) interface as
well as new developments of its K2 infotainment platform to selected industry members and the press in a private
meeting room.
“Garmin’s auto OEM group utilizes the
company’s extensive experience in user
interface and hardware design to address one of the biggest challenges of
the auto industry today: developing incar infotainment that allows drivers to
stay connected behind the wheel with-

out diverting their attention from the
road,” said Matt Munn, Garmin managing director automotive OEM.
“Garmin’s K2 infotainment platform
and interactive HUD interface have
been developed utilizing an in-house
driving simulator that uses cameras to
track the driver’s eye movements. The
interface design is based on the time
and cognitive load required to perform
a task with the goal of minimizing driver distraction.”
The interactive HUD concept provides
a glimpse at how an automotive HUD
interface designed by Garmin can help
keep the driver’s hands on the wheel
and eyes on the road. Balancing functionality with simplicity, the interface
includes a passive state and an interactive mode. The passive state presents
customizable audio, navigation or

communication content just below the
driver’s line of sight. A simple and clean
interface provides important information quickly and at a glance. The navigation view, for example, can show information such as junction views, lane
guidance, speed limit and safety warnings.
The innovative proximity sensor on the
steering wheel activates an interactive
mode on the HUD that allows users to
switch between the different pages.
Two steering wheel buttons let users
select in-menu options, such as start a
route, view traffic information, change
a radio station or initiate a phone call.
Users can save presets in each menu
for quick access while on the road and
eyes facing straight ahead. The audio
menu, for example, could contain
saved radio stations, playlists and

songs.
In addition to the new interactive HUD
interface, Garmin will showcase new
developments of its K2 infotainment
platform. This includes productionready hardware design, new features,
and the evolution of K2’s intuitive user
interface (UI), utilizing the company’s
long-standing experience from its
avionics, marine and consumer segments. Garmin’s K2 infotainment turns
the car dashboard into a digital cockpit
that provides drivers a safe and intuitive way to stay connected and access
all the functions they need while on the
road. Garmin is committed to safely integrating the content and connectivity
that drivers want and far too often are
accessing via their smartphone. The
new K2 demo at this year’s CES will include the integration of third-party en-