Gentex to Demonstrate New Connected Car at CES
Gentex Corp. at CES 2018 will demonstrate new connected car features, digital rear vision systems, biometric-based vehicle security, in-vehicle payments with Visa, and other car features the company claims are ready for automaker implementation.
Gentex is a long-time supplier of electro-optical products for the global automotive industry. It supplies nearly every major automaker with connected-car technologies and advanced electronic features that optimize driver vision and enhance driving safety, according to the company.
Gentex will be in booth No. 9123 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the Jan. 9-12 CES Show.
Car-to-Home Automation
Among the features Gentex will demonstrate at CES is HomeLink Connect, a new home automation app that pairs with the vehicle and allows drivers to operate home automation devices from the vehicle’s center console display.
Drivers of HomeLink Connect compatible vehicles will be able to download and configure the app to control a myriad of individual home automation devices, or set up entire home automation scenes. For instance, when heading home, one HomeLink button press could adjust a thermostat, turn on home lighting, disarm the security system, unlock the door, and begin playing music.
HomeLink Connect is an extension of Gentex’s popular HomeLink feature, which consists of in-vehicle buttons that can be programmed to operate radio-frequency controlled devices like garage doors and security gates. More than 80 million HomeLink-equipped vehicles are on the road today.
In-Vehicle Biometrics
Gentex will also demonstrate at CES its latest version of an in-vehicle biometrics system that authenticates the driver with an iris scan to deliver customized security, comfort and convenience features. The system consists of a rearview mirror that houses near-infrared emitters, an iris-scanning camera, and system-level intelligence.
Upon entering the vehicle, a glance to the mirror by an authorized user would the allow the vehicle to operate, and then personalize setup by automatically adjusting seat position, HVAC controls, music favorites, GPS locations, and other cabin amenities, according to user-determined presets.
Full Display Mirrors
Gentex’s CES booth will also showcase the company’s next-generation Full Display Mirror (FDM), an intelligent rear-vision system that uses a custom camera and mirror-integrated video display to optimize a vehicle’s rearward view. The system captures video from a rearward-facing camera and streams it to a unique mirror-integrated LCD that provides the driver with an unobstructed, panoramic view behind the vehicle.
The mirror offers bi-modal functionality. In mirror mode, the product functions as a standard rearview mirror, but with the flip of a lever, the mirror enters display mode, and a clear, bright, LCD display appears through the mirror’s reflective surface, providing a wide, unobstructed rearward view.
Digital Vision/Camera Monitoring Systems
The Gentex FDM is a critical component in the company’s new camera monitoring system (CMS), which uses three cameras to provide comprehensive views of the sides and rear of the vehicle. The side-view cameras are discretely housed in reduced-sized, exterior mirrors. Their video feeds are combined with that of a roof-mounted camera and stitched together into multiple composite views that are streamed to the driver in the full display mirror.
By housing the side-view cameras in downsized exterior mirrors, the entire system fails safe, according to Gentex. Should weather conditions or system failure disrupt the digital view, drivers can still use the interior and exterior mirrors.
Dimmable Glass
Gentex currently supplies the aerospace industry with electronically dimmable windows that darken on demand so passengers can control the amount of light entering the airplane cabin. This year at CES, the company will demonstrate new uses for its dimmable glass that transfer the aerospace-passenger cabin experience to automotive.
For the first time, Gentex will be demonstrating large-area dimmable devices for in-vehicle lighting, sunload, and privacy control. In addition, the company will debut a dimmable head-up display and sensor shrouds – dimmable glass panels that darken on-demand or automatically according to sensor function.
