In the olden days, a car used to be a prized possession, a machine that only the wealthy could afford. With the advent of the Maruti 800, cars became a household item and an item of necessity. However, for the longest time, cars were bought keeping in mind factors such as lower cost and higher mileage. With the advent of the IT revolution, cars are no longer a mere mechanical item.
They now combine electronics with hardware that offers a new driving experience to the buyers and hence the importance of technology, especially in systems like infotainment systems, has increased. We got in touch with Pratap Devanayagham, Managing Director, Harman India, to understand the new-age technology and how it is reshaping India’s automotive industry.
Consumerization of the automotive industry is rapidly changing not only the way consumers engage with cars, but also what they expect from their vehicles. Today, consumers expect their vehicles to reflect their tech habits outside the car with hyper-personalized experiences and deliver new levels of connectivity, productivity and safety.
Which means, creating connected mobility experiences that deliver distinctive driver benefits and allow OEMs to deliver great consumer experiences and make the lives of drivers and passengers easier, more personal and more connected. These days a look at the interior of any car at auto shows will tell you that digital displays are on the rise.
Advances in display technology like QLED and OLED, the familiarity and ease with which consumers now interact with digital displays and the increasing breadth and complexity of functionality are just three reasons for this visual-car explosion. Ultimately, the whole car, inside and out, can become a performance. As well as operational and safety aspects, the flexibility offered by display technology for instant personalization, infotainment and signalization inside and out is extremely attractive in future usage models.
Apart from the display, another aspect that is picking up really well is the connectivity and the ADAS system. According to a report by Markets & Markets, the global ADAS market size is projected to grow from USD 27.0 billion in 2020 to USD 83.0 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 11.9%.
The changing landscape and hyper-connectivity between cars and the cloud is one of the reasons behind cyber security challenges, with an ever-increasing attack surface that requires proactive and continuous monitoring and protection. Modern automakers need solutions that enable them to deliver these new experiences while minimizing the risks associated with system vulnerabilities, preventing data breaches, and managing threats to system integrity and security. .
This solution is now taking the shape of cloud-based systems, such as Vehicle Security Operations Centers (vSOC). As passenger vehicles become more connected to the cloud (V2C), other cars (V2V), pedestrians (V2P) and infrastructure (V2X), attack surfaces continue to grow and the need for cybersecurity becomes clear . Harman offers a range of cyber security solutions that keep vehicles and passengers alike safe as they are more connected than ever.
ADAS has the potential to remove human error from the travel equation for zero-accident dynamics. In addition, the development of more powerful cockpit architectures allows for pre-integration of ADAS functionality into the digital cockpit. HARMAN has a comprehensive suite of technologies and when combined with our consumer insights and global market trends, our ADAS systems enable the convergence of safety, comfort and experience to enable a safe and exciting future for mobility.
Harman acquired Savari, an automotive technology company that provides V2X sensor solutions and edge-based analytics for automotive and smart infrastructure, in 2021. Savari’s software and hardware technology enhances comprehensive automotive telematics and Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) capabilities, further expanding the company’s strengths. In the 5G edge, multi-access edge computing (MEC) and smart infrastructure solutions.
In February 2022, HARMAN acquired mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) leader Apostera, expanding its automotive product offerings and placing the company at the forefront of automotive AR/MR experience design. Apostera’s mixed reality solution combines augmented reality, machine learning, computer vision and sensor fusion into a hardware-agnostic software platform.
Consumers were used to getting the latest and greatest software features with their mobile devices and wanted the same connectivity in their vehicles. In-vehicle marketplaces or app stores became a priority for OEMs in India around 2017-2018. Our 2000+ brilliant minds continue to contribute to global platforms and programs in Digital Cockpit, Car Audio, Telematics and ADAS from our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Pune for both Indian customers like Tata, Maruti and global customers like GM. , Toyota, VW, Daimler, etc.
In a recent KPMG survey, 82% of automotive executives believe that a car needs its own digital ecosystem, and 85% agreed that such a digital ecosystem will be in the car’s hardware for years to come. will generate more revenue than In fact, HARMAN systems are helping to drive up the take rate in connected display IVI and branded audio. Our products range from IVI Systems to Dual Screen IVI+ Instrument Clusters that deliver the right mix of performance and value to OEMs.
Smart In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems provide a seamless, engaging and fully connected lifestyle, thus transforming the in-vehicle experience. Vehicle infotainment, navigation, mobile devices and telematics can be synchronized to provide a coherent system and a simple interface for the driver. Ensuring that all of these components of the IVI system work together is complex, and requires a variety of software updates for mobile communication platforms such as Android and iOS, automotive projection modes (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and BAIDU CarLife). The operation against it needs to be ensured. ), and interoperability with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and USB standards.
Mobility means much more than just getting from point A to B. Specifically, as an experiential hub the cockpit has to serve more than just entertainment and control needs. Today’s cockpit is fully connected, improves safety and is the perfect companion to the digital life. Harman Digital Cockpit unifies all experiences on a single platform and the platform bundles all the strengths of Harman’s areas of expertise to create maximum value for OEMs and consumers.
Digital Cockpit Scalable Premium Solution
The Digital Cockpit Platform for Scalable Premium Solutions leverages a wide range of core assets such as Connected Services, Harman Ignite Cloud Platform, ADAS functions and pre-integrated HARMAN Android IVI and AudioworX to deliver a superior driving experience. The new powerful and scalable Silicon family integrates more features into the software. Neural networks provide AI functions such as facial and natural voice recognition for premium online and offline experiences. Deep vehicle sensor and camera integration reduce vehicle system complexity and enhance in-cabin experience through premium ADAS features
Digital Cockpit – Global Market Solutions
Today, more than ever, consumers expect to be constantly connected to their digital lives, wherever they are. Harman designs products and services that support the in-vehicle experience to meet the expectations of the mobile lifestyle. Harman’s digital cockpit platform is designed to seamlessly connect the vehicle to the relevant systems, thus saving driver time and improving the connected lifestyle of the car and beyond. The digital cockpit platform is based on either Linux or Android and can be flexibly integrated into every vehicle line.
Consumers are demanding a more digital in-car experience, regardless of the cost of the vehicle. Through value and integration engineering, Harman’s global market solutions enable a personalized and integrated cabin user experience. This platform leverages the experiences of providing premium solutions with exorbitant cost through low hardware cost. This is achieved through reduced system complexity with the ability to connect seamlessly across multiple domains.
Approach provides deeply enriched user experiences such as personalization, navigation, voice and productivity without the associated costs of a premium system. A key component of providing such rich, affordable experiences comes from the Harman Ignite cloud platform.
The value of a vehicle once measured by its mechanical performance, exterior styling and driving dynamics has changed. As consumers ambitiously search for new ways to connect with their world, both inside and outside of their vehicles, it is no surprise that the way consumers measure the price of a car can change at any given time. We have moved towards the experience provided based on your need.
Car buyers are paying more attention to how new connected experiences are made possible by the technology available inside their vehicle, rather than the engine’s horsepower, cornering capabilities or even the brand name. As the move from RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) to EPM (Experience Per Mile) continues, the automotive industry will have to find new ways to reverse this change or risk.
At the forefront of automotive development with new enablers such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), over-the-air updates and 5G telematics, along with the Case Movement (Connected, Autonomous, Shared Mobility and Electrification), these will be recent advancements as we As we enter the next chapter of automotive innovation, drive the way consumers think about automobiles and interact with services while driving. And, it is happening now.
Consumers today are looking at advanced features like CarPlay/Android Auto and enhanced user interface through bigger and crisper displays, good connectivity and a wider app ecosystem. Features like surround view assist and vehicle health monitoring are also picking up well with buyers opting for the facility and becoming more and more safety conscious.