New 3D sensors, advanced infotainment systems for changing user behavior, e-cars with solar cells and wireless battery management for electric vehicles – manufacturers are also taking advantage of the virtual CES to show off their new products.
CES 2021 presents itself completely digital. this year’s premieres and world premieres can be seen purely virtually.
the consumer electronics show, or CES for short, is one of the largest trade shows for consumer electronics. Normally held in las vegas, but due to the corona pandemic, the organizers are switching to a virtual meeting of 11. Up to 14. January 2021 out. Overall, expectations are positive: the U.S. electronics industry is looking ahead to 2021 with confidence. after all, the consumer technology association (CTA) expects sales to grow by a further 4.3% following the record year of 2020. The reason: consumers are mainly at home during the pandemic. The new everyday life in the home office can only function in terms of work, education and entertainment with modern technology. CTA chief gary shapiro confirmed the pandemic has hit the fast-forward button in terms of adopting new technologies.
For many years, CES has also been a must-attend event for the automotive industry and its suppliers. This year, you will also be using the virtual version to present or announce innovations and further developments.
New 3D lidar sensors for all-round view of the vehicle
lidar manufacturer blickfeld unveils its two sensors, the blickfeld vision mini and vision plus. The blickfeld vision mini is a compact 3D lidar sensor that can be integrated in exterior mirrors, headlights, reversing lights and A, B and C pillars, for example. It provides 360-degree all-round vision. The sensor offers a field of view of up to 107 degrees and detects vehicles at a distance of up to 150 meters. The manufacturer says this will enable it to provide reliable data for automated and autonomous driving in urban traffic. The vision plus field of view is intended for use in the front and rear of the vehicle and covers the detection of small objects up to 200 meters away, it says. In combination, both sensors could enable automation of level 2+ and upwards.
BMW gives first glimpse of new idrive
20 years ago, BMWs began navigating through menus and settings using a rotary pushbutton switch. Initially, enthusiasm was limited, but as familiarity grew, BMW’s idrive developed into a sophisticated infotainment concept. Since its introduction, the complexity of the system has increased significantly. Other automakers are focusing exclusively on digital and interactive operating concepts. At CES, BMW is showing a first glimpse of the new infotainment system, which will be unveiled in detail later this year and will make its debut in the ix electric SUV. The rotary-push switch as the central element remains, but it is enclosed in a crystal ring and combined with a curved widescreen. In addition, the new-generation idrive responds not only to this controller, but also to voices, gestures and glances. The infotainment system should interact with drivers and passengers in a natural and emotional way, it says. This is made possible by a digital assistant inspired by the character Q from the recent James Bond films.
Mercedes-benz new infotainment relies on OLED displays and artificial intelligence
mercedes-benz is also taking advantage of the CES to present its new MBUX hyperscreen infotainment system, which combines digital and analog design. The central element is a 141-centimeter-wide screen band into which several OLED displays and air vents are integrated. Driver and passenger each have their own display and control area. Mercedes-benz also presents a new color scheme in blue and orange, in which all the graphics are designed. Behind the scenes, developers are relying on artificial intelligence to make the system context-sensitive. This means that information and functions are only displayed or offered when needed.
Wireless battery management system
Many experts see the future in clever battery management. It should increase range and provide more data on batteries. texas instruments presents a wireless battery management system at CES. It is expected to help reduce the weight and efficiency of e-cars. Finally, it does away with wiring and relies on a wireless communication protocol that was developed specifically for this purpose. In addition, there would be special electronic chips. The combination would allow all data to be "wireless to be read. The independent testing service provider TuV Sud had confirmed the safety of the system.
Solar cells for electric cars
The sun is supposed to increase the range of electric cars. This is the idea of the german start-up sono and the dutch company forma lightyear. Sono presents the prototype of the sion model at CES. The special feature: solar modules are integrated into the entire car body. Under ideal conditions, this should provide an additional range of up to 34 kilometers per day. The lightyear company has stated that it will launch the lightyear one at the end of 2021. In this case, the roof surface is used to provide space for five square meters of solar modules and thus 215 watts more power. Even the Korean manufacturer toyota wants to offer a solar roof for the prius, a plug-in hybrid. With a daily charging time of 5.8 hours, this would mean 1,300 additional kilometers per year. Experts doubt the efficiency of solar technology on cars. After all, the roofs are usually curved, which means less sunlight. The driver must also be able to park in the open without shade, if possible, and the energy must also be usable for the car. According to its own information, sion has explicitly taken this into account and designed the car to be charged with solar power. Buses and trucks may be more suitable for solar modules because they have large, straight roofs.