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Integrated connectivity for intelligent and flexible vehicle infotainment
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Cloud terminal transfers applications from the head unit to the cloud
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Open development platform also available to programmers without automotive knowledge
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Continental invites the developer community to the Hackathon at the IAA 2017 to further enhance the cloud terminal
Wetzlar/Frankfurt am Main, month dd, 2017. The new Continental cloud terminal offers maximum flexibility in the vehicle cockpit. Applications that used to be integrated directly in the head unit have now moved over to the cloud, where they are processed before being displayed on a powerful browser in the head unit. This ensures that the system is always up-to-date and that new functions can be added at any time. The terminal also uses HTML5 technology, which not only enables platform-independent application development, but also allows data to be presented on different displays with different resolutions.
This means that new functions and micro-services can be added to the system even after the start of production, keeping it up-to-date at all times. This is made possible by using common Internet of Things solutions, as well as open protocols and standard interfaces such as MQTT or the REST interface. “At the IAA 2017, we’re making the cloud terminal available for the first time to an even wider developer community. At the Continental.cloud Hackathon, we’ll be inviting developers from all fields to develop new applications and enter into a direct dialog”, explains Dr. Karsten Michels, Head of System and Technology at the Continental Interior Division.
Continental.cloud Hackathon at the IAA
This two-day collaborative software development event takes place on September 18/19 and again on September 20/21 in the “C-Square” part of the Continental stand at this year’s IAA in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 5.1, Stand A07/A08).
Each team of innovative thinkers will develop a service-based vehicle app for direct integration in the cloud terminal. The content of the app is not limited to vehicle-related functions – on the contrary, the app can focus on other current trends or incorporate data such as information from smart cities, smartphones, social networks and smart homes. Developers can familiarize themselves beforehand with the open development framework and experiment with it. During the Hackathon, the open Web Application Messaging Protocol (WAMP) will be used, so that the participants can develop using a wide range of programming languages. The finished applications for integration in the cloud terminal will then be written in HTML5. The participants will compete in teams and put their ideas into practice with the help of experts from Continental. As well as other attractive prizes, three of the winners from all the events that Continental will host at the “C-Square” will win a trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. For more information please visit https://www.fiction-to-science.com.
“Our open approach makes the cloud terminal a completely flexible infotainment system that benefits both drivers and automotive manufacturers,” explains Johann Hiebl, head of the Infotainment & Connectivity business unit at Continental. “It allows drivers to obtain new applications quickly and easily, which will make their journey easier, and automotive manufacturers can roll out applications across various models and vehicle classes at little cost.”
An intelligent assistant on board
The cloud terminal also acts as the driver’s digital co-pilot, analyzing the driver’s habits at different times of the day and week. On this basis, it can automatically set the infotainment program to play, for example, the driver’s favorite radio station on the way to work in the morning. Other applications, such as the navigation system, can be similarly optimized. For example, if the driver goes to the gym every Wednesday afternoon, this route is displayed automatically when the system is started.
Even the standard radio can be optimized in important ways through the addition of extra cloud services and artificial intelligence systems. Continental’s service unites multiple offerings in one crowdsourcing concept designed to make the radio an intelligent system. This means that drivers can view the schedule of any station at any given time and choose exactly the station they’re in the mood for. Stations can also automatically switch to the driver´s favorite artist. The package is rounded off by the system’s ability to provide recommendations for other, specialist radio stations based on the driver’s listening habits.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transport. In 2016, Continental generated sales of €40.5 billion and currently employs more than 227,000 people in 56 countries.
Information management in and beyond the vehicle is at the very heart of the Interior division. The product portfolio for different types of vehicles includes: instrument clusters, multifunctional and head-up displays, control units, access control and tire-information systems, radios, infotainment systems, input devices, control panels, climate control units, software, cockpits as well as services and solutions for telematics and Intelligent Transportation Systems. The Interior division employs more than 43,000 people worldwide and generated sales of €8.3 billion in 2016.
Press contact
Sebastian Fillenberg
Continental
External Communications
Interior Division
Sodener Straße 9
65824 Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany
Phone: +49 6196 87-3709
sebastian.fillenberg@continental-corporation.com
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