Jan 25, 2018

CES 2018: Emerging Automotive Trends

Category: Automotive

By Evert-Jan van Donkelaar (Sr. Dir. R&D Automotive) and Thomas Henin (Sr. Dir. Global Marketing Aftermarket)

With almost 4,000 exhibitors, from the world’s leading brands to start-up companies, over 200,000 visitors at CES 2018 got a glimpse into the future. And, it was overwhelming.

As it relates to automotive, CES is one of the must-attend shows for innovators in the space. Many interesting automotive demos showcased upcoming technologies this year, and we thought we would summarize some of the high-tech solutions and emerging automotive trends related to connectivity and autonomous driving that stood out to us.

Smart Mobility and Connected Cars
One of the main trends for OEMs is all about smart mobility and connected solutions for cars, drivers and their surroundings. It is about solutions and the use of different building blocks to support it. The dashboard will be the Command Center in the car giving all the information on the technical status of the car and surroundings, and giving the user access to the internet.

At CES, car-wide central displays were presented with a dashboard covering the whole car width or as projection on the front screen in a Head-Up version, such as in the case of Autonomous Driving Mode. In this ecosystem the devices like the display, dash cam, TPMS, OBD and Smart Key are combined with communication protocols, connectivity, app development and data management.

Aftermarket suppliers are building on this. Many showed their latest products, often with smart functionality and mostly connected via an app with a mobile device.

Heads-Up Display
Some first proposals for heads-up displays showcased how to equip existing cars with this latest technology, using your phones screen on a transparent display on your windshield. You can have the display tell you things like directions to a restaurant or the latest data on your car. One of the award-winning innovations at CES highlighted a bright and sharp screen with a wide viewing angle. It is developed for connection with mobile phone and serves all its functions.

First AM- ADAS systems were shown at CES 2018: blind spot radar and collision warning systems.

Artificial Intelligence
Two innovation award winning start-ups were showing an intelligent and voice prepared communication system on how to be smarter, safer and more connected while on the road. One company showcased an interactive display with high Artificial Intelligence (AI) content for seamless communication between the driver and their car with a very high-level of functionality, where control and communication occurs with movement of the eyes on the screen.

Innovative interactive communication display

AI will continue to develop in the coming years on the realization of autonomous driving cars, sign controls, augmented reality and facial recognition.

Wireless Power
Another new trend that might become a game changer is wireless power. Imagine you can use your devices in your car without cables or charging your battery. Two companies showed their latest technologies on this. One of the systems showed a receiver that within a range of 10 meters gets its power from a transmitter. Maximum power is about 2W. Another system showed an IR transmitter integrated in a lamp and a receiver in the device. It needs a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver and has a max power of 5W.

5G Internet
Finally, the Internet in 5G will mean major advancements in wireless throughput. It will make all connectivity faster and more reliable. It is an influencer for many upcoming web connected automotive devices, though it probably won’t be available to the public before 2022.

Lumileds will follow all developments closely with the goal to provide aftermarket lighting solutions and mobility accessories that enhance the overall experience for people on the move.