Rightware today at CES revealed the latest innovations in its Kanzi product family, which allow automakers to increase brand value by combining Android™ Automotive with new high-quality graphics that can be shared across all displays in the vehicle, including the digital cluster, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) screens, and the head-up display (HUD).
In its CES demonstration, Rightware showcases how its Kanzi UI software complements Android Automotive with rich visuals and animations, while its Kanzi Connect enables apps and services from Android to be shared across all vehicle displays, providing automakers branding freedom and consumers fresh and creative interior digital displays. Pre-integrated services and utilities reduce development effort and accelerate time-to-market when incorporating Android into the in-car UX.
“We’re very excited about Kanzi and Android bringing high-performance graphics to the vehicle cockpit,” said Ville Ilves, CEO at Rightware. “With Kanzi and Android, automakers, suppliers, and consumers all win.”
Kanzi UI is an efficient and agile HMI development toolset for automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, and design studios to create vehicle user interfaces. Rightware recently released Kanzi 3.6.4, which introduces integration with Android Studio, allowing developers to bring high-quality graphics to vehicles with Android-based head units in a familiar development environment.
“Putting the capabilities of Kanzi UI in the hands of designers empowers them to lead the creative process and develop a rich digital user experience aligned with the brand. That is very compelling and exhilarating for the designer,” said Ilves.
Kanzi Connect, now available as a beta release, is a fully customizable connectivity platform that brings automotive electronics, consumer devices, and the Internet of Things under one single interface. It allows designers to use the same toolchain across all displays in the vehicle, including second- and third-row infotainment screens.
“We make it easy to develop UIs that are distinguished and unique to the brand, even the specific model, and deliver the ultimate customer experience for the driver and occupants,” said Tero Koivu, COO at Rightware. “The combination of Kanzi UI and Kanzi Connect brings a consistent visual identity across all displays in the vehicle, regardless of the underlying operating systems. Kanzi UI allows automakers to implement the desired look-and-feel on any display and Kanzi Connect allows data or services to be easily rendered on any display across the cockpit. This approach to integrating embedded Android into the automotive UX really delivers the best of both worlds.”
Koivu notes other key benefits of Kanzi UI are its proven track record on performance- and safety-critical platforms, as well as the speed and flexibility it affords automakers and suppliers to develop and bring to market instrument cluster and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) displays. With its agile workflow and modular architecture, Kanzi enables rapid prototyping and iteration, and accelerates HMI development by allowing UI designers and engineers to work in parallel with minimal cross-dependencies.
While Kanzi is being used to design UIs for connected cars today, it is also prepared for the future. For example, Kanzi Connect will bring in all the infotainment services passengers can use in autonomous vehicles, while Kanzi Maps will help visualize next-generation location, sensor, and ADAS information in a much more realistic and context-sensitive way over traditional navigation applications.