In connected car news are omniVision, Aptiv, Affectiva, Cinemo, 24M, Honda, Ouster and HARMAN.
omniVision Tech
omniVision Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, today announced the OV9284, a 1-megapixel global shutter image sensor. This latest addition to OmniVision’s automotive portfolio is ideal for in-cabin camera modules in passenger vehicles, where driver state monitoring (DSM) and passenger-monitoring cameras need to be extremely small and unobtrusive, while complying with stringent safety regulations.
The OV9284 also offers the industry’s best near-infrared (NIR) quantum efficiency (QE) in a driver-monitoring image sensor, with 12% at 940nm, which allows designers to achieve sufficient illumination with fewer LEDs, thus reducing total system cost and power consumption. This sensor consumes only 90mW of power at 60 frames per second (fps), which is 30% lower than the nearest competitor. Additionally, the high-speed global shutter sensor with OmniPixel3-GS™ technology offers 1280 x 800 resolution at video speeds of up to 120 fps.
The sensor comes in a compact automotive chip-scale package, which measures 5237µm x 4463µm for smaller lens designs. Its 27-degree chief ray angle with a low z height requirement provides a wider viewing angle in a thinner package, allowing for greater flexibility with camera placement.
Aptiv & Affectiva
Aptiv PLC announced it signed a commercial partnership agreement with Affectiva, a Boston-based MIT Media Lab spin-off and leader in Human Perception artificial intelligence (AI). The partnership will deliver innovative, scalable software – derived from deep learning architectures – to enhance perception capabilities in advanced safety solutions and reimagine the future of the in-cabin experience.
Cinemo
Cinemo, a global leader in high performance and automotive grade multimedia playback, streaming, media management, connectivity and cloud middleware, have announced support for the Gerda (C/Cdash/C2 System-On-a-Chip series) from Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.
Gerda opens up a wealth of processing possibilities in an all-purpose execution. Combining a multi CPU with 2D/3D graphics and picture quality engine, entry-level and cost-efficient configurations can effectively harness a diverse spectrum of creative control with Cinemo’s adaptive architecture in the driving seat.
With Gerda based infotainment units, Cinemo becomes the centre of media activity fashioning a technology hub with the head unit and offering an intelligent way to access your individual content and services. High-performance and synchronized playback, ultra-fast indexing and content sharing, all deliver a spectacle in application autonomy, whilst BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), provides the prospect of RSE screens (Rear Seat Entertainment), as well as projection mode functionality including CarPlay and Android Auto.
Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. announced that, effective Feb. 1, 2019, it will become the exclusive provider of U.S. for Lyft.
24M Funded
24M announced it has raised a $21.8 million Series D to accelerate the deployment of its simple, capital-efficient, low-cost manufacturing process and the development of differentiated, high energy density lithium-ion cells for the EV market.
The financing was led by advanced ceramics manufacturer Kyocera Group and leading global trading company, ITOCHU Corporation. Also participating in the round were previous investors, including North Bridge Venture Partners.
24M introduced its novel SemiSolid lithium-ion battery design in 2015, and has since leveraged its own semi-automated pilot facility to substantially advance both cell design and production readiness. 24M is now ready to globally scale its unique, capital-efficient, low-cost approach to advanced lithium-ion battery manufacturing.
The SemiSolid process, which uses electrolyte as the processing solvent, eliminates capital and energy intensive steps like drying, solvent recovery, calendaring and electrolyte filling. 24M leverages the process via differentiated cell designs, eliminating the need for significant inactive material (copper, aluminum and separator), resulting in both a structural bill of materials advantage and a lower cost to manufacture. Further, the incorporation of electrolyte during the binderless slurry mixing process presents unique approaches to high energy density cell designs that have heretofore been impossible to explore.
Phillips 66 Payments in Honda
Phillips 66 is collaborating with Honda Developer Studio to develop in-vehicle fuel payment integration that allows Honda vehicle owners to reserve a pump and pay for fuel at Phillips 66®, 76® and Conoco® branded locations through their in-dash infotainment system.
This new in-vehicle feature will allow drivers to find the nearest Phillips 66, 76 or Conoco station and pay at the pump from the comfort of their driver seat. Phillips 66 launched mobile pay in early 2018 and is rolling it out at all branded stations into 2019. To download the My Phillips 66 app with Mobile Pay for Apple devices and Google pay.
Ouster LiDAR
Ouster, a leading manufacturer of high-resolution lidar sensors, announced its newest multi-beam flash lidar sensor, the OS-1-128. The OS-1-128 is the highest resolution lidar on the market and comes with no change in size, mass, power consumption, or ruggedness compared to the OS-1-64, and continues to deliver on the promise of Moore’s Law-esque product improvements enabled from Ouster’s Multi-Beam Flash Lidar architecture.
The OS-1-128 has a 45° vertical field of view, the widest available of any commercially sold high-performance lidar sensor. It is perfect for safety-critical robotics applications like autonomous vehicles, where minimizing lidar blind spots has been challenging to date. It incorporates 0.35° vertical angular resolution, uniformly spaced throughout the field of view, providing a consistent and dense point cloud.
The OS-1-128 is priced at $18,000, six times cheaper than the competing 128-channel lidar sensor. This extends Ouster’s commitment of providing the lowest pricing at every performance level.
Schaeffler Partners with Plug and Play
Global industrial and automotive supplier Schaeffler has entered into a partnership with Plug and Play, a Silicon Valley-based innovation platform that connects startups with established corporations and venture capitalists. Of the 14 industry-specific programs offered by Plug and Play, Schaeffer will focus on technologies from the Mobility and Internet of Things (IoT) verticals, while also keeping an eye on innovations coming out of Energy, New Materials & Packaging, and Supply Chain & Logistics.
HARMAN AudioworX
Launched in January 2018, HARMAN AudioworX™ has taken the limits off of technology-driven in-car user experiences by enabling a constantly expanding community of developers from around the world to contribute their innovative thinking to create, implement, and integrate differentiating next-level car audio solutions—to the greater benefit of all end users. Today, HARMAN is pleased to announce a new AudioworX collaboration with NTT, a leading provider of networking, software communications and cloud computing solutions that will leverage NTT’s intelligent microphone technology to create elevated in-car experiences.
With HARMAN AudioworX, developers have an open-framework unified audio platform that enables rapid design of cutting-edge in-vehicle experiences using either HARMAN or their own proprietary software solutions. These help automakers differentiate their brands while giving them the flexibility to quickly and easily adapt to the latest trends in consumer preferences.
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