QNX Software Systems Limited has taken the wraps off a new reference vehicle, a specially modified Jeep®Wrangler® Sahara, to showcase how its QNX CAR™ 2 application platform is poised to bring a new level of personalization to the automobile.
“We created the reference vehicle for three reasons: to show how automakers can create a custom look-and-feel for multiple vehicle lines from a single, cost-effective code base; to show how drivers can easily re-skin the dashboard to suit their personal tastes and interests; and to show how application developers can create apps that adopt the vehicle’s look and feel,” said Andy Gryc, Automotive Product Marketing Manager, QNX Software Systems.
To demonstrate the personalization capabilities of the QNX CAR 2 application platform the reference vehicle includes a digital instrument cluster, an infotainment system and a media player, all of which can be re-skinned through a simple tap on the touchscreen to display a different look and feel. The underlying code remains the same; only the user interface, created in HTML5, changes from one skin to another.
Currently, automakers must design and build separate instrument clusters and infotainment systems to match the brand identity of each product line — an expensive and often complex process. By allowing automakers to create a single code base that can be re-skinned across vehicles, the QNX CAR 2 application platform will not only help eliminate this complexity, but also help enable automakers to respond more quickly to shifting customer tastes and expectations. By enabling user personalization, the platform will help consumers feel more at home in their cars and, ultimately, enhance brand loyalty.
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For those social media inclined, the QNX Software Systems’ new reference vehicle can also post updates to Facebook that list the song and artist the infotainment system is currently playing; users use simple voice commands to control when updates are posted.
Other highlights of the new reference vehicle include:
- auto-centric HTML5 framework for leveraging the mobile ecosystem
- integration with a variety of popular smartphones
- one-touch Bluetooth® pairing with smartphones using NFC (Near-Field Communications)
- Ultra HD hands-free communication
- DLNA support for phone and home -based media
- tablet-based rear-seat entertainment
- a reconfigurable digital instrument cluster
The vehicle also integrates a variety of partner technologies, including hybrid navigation from TCS and Telenav, text-to-speech and natural speech recognition from Vlingo and AT&T, streaming Internet radio from Pandora® and TuneIn, integrated weather reporting from the Weather Network, parking search from Best Parking, FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) software updates from Red Bend®Software, and integrated Bluetooth profiles from Sybase iAnywhere® and Cybercom.
QNX Software Systems has licensed its software technology for use in millions of in-vehicle systems worldwide, including digital instrument clusters, hands-free systems, multimedia head units, connectivity modules, and navigation systems.
Edited by: Kristin Craik
