Samsung Harman’s AI Will Make Cars More Empathetic

If you consider the car on your driveway as simply a device to get from A to B, think again because Samsung subsidiary Harman has been showcasing new tech at CES that it claims will turn it into an empathetic companion.

The company, based in Stamford, Connecticut, says its aim is to develop tech that “understands your needs, adapts to your preferences and creates an environment that uniquely engages with you.” 

And its way of doing this is via the latest addition to its Ready range, Ready Engage, hailed as an emotionally intelligent AI system which features an avatar, called Luna, which is integrated with a voice assistant platform from Massachusetts’ Cerence AI.

The idea is that Luna adds to the functionality of Harman’s other AI solutions with the ability to personalize interactions through a friendly voice and visuals. This, says Harman, helps to foster a natural bond between vehicle occupants and the tech.

Luna will be integrated with Harman’s Ready Vision products, which include the acclaimed QVUE windshield display that delivers immersive augmented reality features such as dynamic street visualization and transparent hood views.

Ready Engage will be fully customizable for automaker customers, says Harman.

The tech is powered by Harman’s Ready Upgrade cockpit domain controllers and central compute unit (CCU) platforms, which essentially serve as the brain behind the company’s in-cabin experiences.

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According to Harman, Ready Upgrade reduces development cycles and costs with turnkey solutions and software updates every three months.

Additionally, Harman has partnered with South Korea’s HL Klemove to deliver a CCU featuring Ready Upgrade and the latter’s Level 2 assisted driving software stack and sensor set. The pair are also working together on a more advanced CCU platform that integrates the latest cockpit features and automated driving tech that will allow automakers a shorter time to market.

“Harman is pioneering the next frontier in automotive technology by translating user states and situational understanding into truly contextual in-cabin experiences,” said Armin Prommersberger, Harman’s chief technology officer.

“Harman’s portfolio of intelligent solutions is the most comprehensive in the industry, and our products go beyond proven, technical excellence. We help OEMs deliver differentiation and deeper engagement for their customers, making us the transformation partner of choice for automakers.”

Other collaborations announced by Harman at CES included a partnership with Canadian intelligent traffic solutions expert Miovision on Ready Aware, a new vehicle-to-network Software as a Service solution, and one with Qualcomm on the Ready Connect 5G telematics control unit.

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