Harman READY! OEM’s next gen.

Harman READY! This means you need to go and get a cuppa and at least three biscuits…this is quite a tale of the future. So we start in the past!

My very first ever audio epiphany was when I was working for dB Hire. Going round to boss Phil Jones’ flat and hearing his Tannoy Westminsters. Great big speakers with cabinets big enough for me to have hidden inside of, each with a horn in the middle of the large bass driver. Sat atop them, he had a small pair of speakers with an orange badge on them, that said JBL. These were even more impressive. Little tiny boxes by comparison but the sound was rich and full, unlike the cheap rubbish ones my dad had bought with his stacking record player at home.

I literally marvelled at the sheer scale and magnificence of the sound in Phil’s living room. I had been being his human fork lift truck as a roadie, shifting damn great big speaker boxes around, as we went to pubs and clubs to do bands’ public address. Way back then was when I Iearned how incredible the JBL stuff was and some of the history of it. I nearly bought an early Harman-Kardon amplifier at a Hi-Fi shop on Harrow in the Eighties with my earnings but didn’t know the name… all of which is ancient history as Harman eventually came to own JBL. They, in turn became fully owned by Samsung in recent times, and this year is when their new parent company’s technology has come to roost for the amazing new turn that Harman have taken in the automotive field.

No longer is the car side of the CES about brands like Kenwood and Pioneer in the North halls, it is about the car makers and their needs to impress an ever yet more connected driving public that expects a lot more than mere sat nav. Except this serious exhibition, like a rather significant slice of other companies, is not actually participating in the CES. The stuff I was sent is about an event that is set at the same time, in their own slice of hotel exhibition space. This time, at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas

I was sent links to the virtual dossier on what is called HARMAN EXPLORE 2023. And as well as a slew of lovely JBL consumer products, the really big news are the new multiple packages of equipment and software designed to impress car makers who want to provide excellent technology and a fun experience that can be made to be their OWN flavour by brand. After the aftermarket was killed off by the manufacturers of cars getting better up to speed with integrating technologies into their cars, they are now at the point where they are struggling to keep up. By the time a new car is out, the tech is getting dated already. The large theme running through all this is upgradeability, which is something the public expects.

The stuff is all about being ready to go for OEMs as they call the car manufacturers, with sweetly tailored solutions. Dang, that sounds jargonistic… but I can tell you that the profundity of jargon terms rather than simple language, made digesting this like chilled treacle.. slowly teased out of the jar. It’s genius but whoah, it’s impenetrable for the less than well informed!

This then, is Harman READY

READY VISION:

This is a fabulous new head-up display system that comes in ‘large’ and ‘extra large’ which refers to their field of view, like binoculars! They are 12×4 degrees or 15×15 degrees FOV. They show a seriously advanced set of intuitive augmented-reality graphics as well as outputting information to tell the audio system to use turn by turn instructions or warnings. It looks fabulous. This is from the release:

“A set of Augmented Reality (AR) head-up display (HUD) hardware and AR software products to enhance driver safety and awareness. Ready Vision’s AR software integrates with vehicle sensors to deliver immersive audio and visual alerts that empower the driver with critical knowledge and information, in a timely, accurate and non-intrusive manner.

HARMAN Ready Vision bridges the physical and digital worlds by displaying intuitive turn-by-turn directions on the windshield to help enhance driver cognition. Ready Vision also uses computer vision and machine learning for 3D object detection to deliver non-intrusive collision warnings, blind spot warnings, lane departure, lane change assist and low speed zone notifications to the driver, with high precision.

“This launch is a key component of HARMAN’s mission to enhance the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians, while cultivating transformative in-cabin experiences,” said Armin Prommersberger, Senior Vice President of Product Management, HARMAN International. “Ready Vision solves key industry challenges around driver safety by helping drivers better understand their surroundings and enabling an eyes-forward, focused journey. Our new product empowers the driver with the right information at the right time, even in the most unfamiliar driving scenarios, making their time on the road more intuitive and safe.”

Ready Vision is part of HARMAN’s line-up of new products introduced during EXPLORE at CES that are road-ready — and have demonstrated they deliver compelling in-cabin experiences. Each product is designed to work independently to deliver specific vehicle safety, well-being, and connectivity benefits — but also integrates seamlessly with other HARMAN Ready products for an even more enhanced experience. For example, Ready Vision is compatible with HARMAN Ready Care, offering extended situational awareness through enhanced audio/visual alerts when driver distraction is detected to bring them back to a more optimal state for driving.

Key features of HARMAN Ready Vision include:

• AR HUD hardware: An innovative design enables a large field of view, long virtual depth, optimal eye box and high brightness with a compact package volume and wedgeless windshield design, providing major cost saving for OEMs. Ready Vision initially provides two options — Large with 12˚ x 4˚ Field of View and Extra-large with 15˚ x 5˚ Field of View — that feature patented technologies and IP.
• AR software: Artificial intelligence and machine learning-based software framework integrate with computer vision to display the right information at the right time, with low latency for real-time 3D object detection. Ready Vision prioritizes the display of relevant objects without obstructing the driver view. Ready Vision AR software effortlessly integrates multiple sensors such as navigation, ADAS and microphones to create smart and timely visual and audio alerts. Ready Vision incorporates HARMAN’s flagship directional and spatial audio into its software platform to help enhance driver perception and support their ability to respond to threats faster, while enabling them to keep their eyes on the road with intuitive and clear prompts.

HARMAN Ready Vision utilises these technological components to display key information on the windshield, augmented by directional immersive audio alerts, assisting drivers in keeping their eyes on the road, instead of having to view and process data from multiple screens to gain relevant insight. It also provides real-time, contextual points of interest, including street names and addresses, along with accurate and timely updates to the driver based on their profile, interests and preferences. Ready Vision’s integration of ultra-low latency visual and audio alerts also supports driver ability to respond to various traffic prompts and conditions.”

READY UPGRADE

This is where the circle completes from the old aftermarket days. Back then, the head unit was easy to change but you had to be hardcore to install an amplifier, with all the wiring that entailed. Now, the offerings to manufacturers can involve components that can be upgraded within the lifetime of a car and get this.. EVEN ADD AMPS AND BASS SPEAKERS! But all as OEM. Here’s how they put it:

Ready Upgrade is part of HARMAN’s line-up of new products introduced during EXPLORE at CES that are road-ready — and have demonstrated they deliver compelling in-cabin experiences. Each product is designed to work independently to deliver specific vehicle safety, well-being, and connectivity benefits — but also integrates seamlessly with other HARMAN Ready products for an even more enhanced experience. For example, Ready Upgrade offers a pre-integrated rear camera ADAS feature and can integrate with HARMAN Ready Care, leveraging driver monitoring systems to help mitigate driver distraction while delivering personalised in-cabin health and well-being solutions.

HARMAN Ready Upgrade incorporates the following features:

• Cockpit Domain Controller: HARMAN offers customers three families of production-grade Domain Controllers that will each deliver a new generation every 18–24 months so OEMs can support the latest features with the newest technology. Each generation is fully backward compatible, so customers can easily move to the next generation system in their production line. This product also offers OEMs the potential to unlock new business models by offering hardware and feature upgrades to their customers.
• Software: Ready Upgrade’s software suite delivers continuous releases of the complete software stack, as well as reference Instrument Cluster and Infotainment applications, which customers can tailor to provide a differentiated Digital Cockpit experience that aligns with their brand. The software is forward- and backward-compatible with next-generation hardware for full system upgradability. Ready Upgrade will be fully compatible with the other technologies HARMAN is featuring during CES, including Ready Care, Ready Vision, Ready Display, and Ready on Demand, has pre-integrated features of HARMAN Ignite Cloud and is able to deliver the latest software, including security patches over the air. HARMAN is also offering an ecosystem of compatible HARMAN and 3rd party software applications and services to further accelerate time to market. This includes integration with the HARMAN Ignite Store and its marquis 3rd party applications which consumers can discover and download to their in-vehicle systems.
• Accessories: Ready Upgrade is compatible with HARMAN’s ecosystem of products as well as third-party accessories, including displays, tuners, amplifiers, speakers and microphones, some of which will be shown at CES.
• Low-code tool suite: HARMAN’s Ready Upgrade will provide a full suite of low-code and no-code software development tools that customers can use to greatly reduce new feature time to market and cost, accelerating the creation of their differentiated in-vehicle experience, adapting to their vehicle networks and tuning the performance without having to invest in large software development efforts. Defined integration interfaces and a complete HMI and software development toolchain, including emulation and build environments, dramatically accelerate the timeline for Digital Cockpit HMI design.

Ready CARE

This had a new word I boggled at! PHOTOPLETHYSMOGRAPHY! It’s a killer even to spell out and read aloud! Try it! That is about an infra red camera system and RADAR (!) watching you and yours inside your cabin, to look after you, even unto measuring stuff that is normal only for smartwatches up to now, somehow, without a sensor around your wrist, that can even check that you are not about to leave your child in the car! “Child Presence Detection!” What that says about modern needs does rather chill me, but its getting serious! Here, if you grasp it, is the SP from Harman:

“HARMAN Ready Care, the industry’s first closed-loop interior sensing and tailored interventions product that measures a driver’s eye activity, cognitive load and vital signs to determine the level of focus and attention on the road ahead. Using neuroscience, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Ready Care classifies a driver’s behaviour into a focused versus distracted state and initiates a personalised in-cabin response to help mitigate dangerous driving situations, such as stress, anxiety, distraction and drowsiness.

Through the September 2022 HARMAN acquisition of CAARESYS, Ready Care offers market leading in-cabin radar sensing technology. Now, Ready Care adds to its rich feature set contactless measurement of human vital signs such as heart rate, breathing rate and inter-beat levels to determine a driver’s state of well-being. In addition, Ready Care sensors also detect if a child is left unattended in the vehicle.

“Ready Care is an industry first product that is driving real impact for driver safety and well-being and is a key part of HARMAN’s mission to deliver consumer experiences at an automotive grade,” said Armin Prommersberger, Senior Vice President of Product Management, HARMAN International. “With its unique ability to deliver customized and personalized driver interventions via a closed-loop approach, from detections via analysis to tailored interventions like adjusting the temperature, audio settings and vehicle lighting, Ready Care offers solutions and protective intelligence that constantly prioritizes the driver’s well-being.”

Ready Care is part of HARMAN’s line-up of new products introduced during EXPLORE at CES that are road-ready — and have demonstrated they deliver compelling in-cabin experiences. Each product is designed to work independently to deliver specific vehicle safety, well-being, in-cabin entertainment and connectivity benefits — but also integrates seamlessly with other HARMAN Ready products for an even more enhanced experience. For example, Ready Care is compatible with HARMAN Ready Vision, offering extended situational awareness with enhanced audio/visual alerts when a driver is distracted to bring them back to a more optimal state for driving.

Key features of the upgraded HARMAN Ready Care include:

• Eyes and Mind on Road: An industry-first real-time driver visual and mental cognitive load measurement deciphers when a driver is mentally distracted from driving based on eye activity, neuroscience, and state of mind.
• Vital Sign Sensing: A driver-facing infrared camera or in-cabin radar is used to monitor important driver vital signs such as heart rate, inter-beat intervals, and breathing rate via RPPG (remote photoplethysmography) without the need to wear or use any external devices, which can influence the development of future safety and well-being applications in the vehicle.
• Child Presence Detection: A radar sensor is used for child presence detection (CPD) and general life presence detection. The product can detect occupant life presence in the vehicle after exiting it and will enable the OEM to provide an alert or notification to the driver to inform them of the situation. CPD will become a future NCAP safety requirement in automotive.

Ready Care can initiate multiple and simultaneous in-cabin vehicle intervention responses to mitigate driver drowsiness and distraction, enabling safer mobility experiences. HARMAN Ready Care makes closed-loop in-cabin interventions possible via the Ready Care SDK with supporting APIs, allowing OEMs and other third-party suppliers to integrate any vehicle feature or function as a part of the in-cabin customized interventions against driver drowsiness and distraction. For example, third-party developers like Gentherm can leverage the HARMAN Open SDK to provide in-cabin interventions through its ClimateSense^® solution. Other partners will be added and named in the future.

HARMAN Ready Care is offered as a scalable product that is flexible to OEM needs by allowing them to configure specific software bundles, sensors, and the compute platform as desired. For consumers, HARMAN Ready Care delivers enhanced safety and peace of mind by helping to reduce driver distraction and drowsiness, and equipping consumers with greater intelligence to enable safer driving behaviours.

Ready Display

This comes in under the “So I should think!” banner, as Harman are now a part of Samsung. It follows logic that they are now able to crush it when it comes to offering amazing quality displays.. this is about shapes and sizes and crucially, their superb new NeoQLED screen technology that down-prices the posh OLED tech and yet has enough of its DNA to have you marvel.. at a lower price point so you will see more awesome screens in ever yet more affordable cars. I reckon KIA will be all over this! Here is the Harman information about it:

“HARMAN Ready Display, a portfolio of display products, including Neo QLED Auto, that leverage Samsung synergies to bring leading consumer electronics display experiences into the vehicle. HARMAN Ready Display optimises price, performance, and design to fit a wide variety of vehicle needs.

As consumer demand for engaging and advanced in-cabin user experiences continues to grow at a pace set by smartphones, automotive manufacturers need display products that are dynamic and accessible. Current mass-market Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD displays fall short of consumer expectations of consumer electronics grade visual experiences, and Plastic OLED offerings are too cost-prohibitive to be offered in all car categories. HARMAN Ready Display bridges this gap by delivering a portfolio of display products that offer superior visual experiences at more accessible price points, leveraging Samsung’s consumer electronics innovations and purchasing scale into preferred vehicle displays that are obtainable to more of the market.

“Ready Display provides the displays that consumers have come to expect on their televisions and smartphones, in their vehicles — all at an accessible price. By partnering with HARMAN, automakers can bring High Dynamic Range (HDR) quality displays to their vehicles today,” said Armin Prommersberger, Senior Vice President of Product Management, HARMAN International. “Further, being part of the Samsung family allows us to integrate consumer electronics expertise into our innovation process, ensuring the experiences we create are built at automotive grade, with actual users in mind — and in partnership with some of the world’s top consumer electronics experts.”

HARMAN’s Ready Display includes Neo QLED Auto, which leapfrogs existing in-market options to achieve superior near-OLED visual experiences at a preferred price point. Enabled by patented Samsung technology that is available exclusively to HARMAN, Neo QLED Auto displays leverage automotive-ready cadmium-free Quantum Dot film and MINI LED backlight technology to achieve HDR grade displays with high contrast, high brightness, wide colour gamut and perfect black to deliver stunning visual experiences within the vehicle, at preferred price points when compared to existing OLED-based display options. Neo QLED Auto also has a lower optical distance and all-in-one die-cast body concept to enable OEMs to integrate the display more easily into their vehicles and with superior design freedom over today’s TFT displays.

Ready Display is part of HARMAN’s line-up of new products introduced during EXPLORE at CES that are road-ready — and have demonstrated they deliver compelling in-cabin experiences. Each product is designed to work independently to deliver specific vehicle safety, well-being, in-cabin entertainment and connectivity benefits — but also integrates seamlessly with other HARMAN Ready products for an even more enhanced in-cabin experience. For example, Ready Display can work with to seamlessly with HARMAN Ready Care to integrate driver and occupant monitoring system features into displays via notched and free-form displays or under display camera installations.

Key features of HARMAN Ready Display include:

• Samsung-powered optics: Patented Samsung technology delivers HDR-level performance, with cadmium-free Quantum Dot technology, higher efficiency and readability under harsh environmental conditions (temperature or sunlight). Ready Display immerses the viewer in a state-of-the-art optical experience that pushes the envelope for in-vehicle displays, all in a sleek and elegant form at preferred price points.
• Lower power consumption & low halo technology: Efficient automotive-ready Quantum Dot film and lower halo effect delivers vivid and brilliant optics that enable leading home entertainment levels of viewing in the vehicle with significantly lower power consumption, which is ideal for both EVs and ICE vehicles.
• System & design integration: Multi-modal interfaces and slimmer design and borders, plus lower optical distance and an all-in-one die-cast body concept, offer reduced thickness and high compatibility with vehicle designs compared to competitor technology. Ready Display also supports the latest system requirements for graphic content processing, and protection, for optimal performance, safety and security.

HARMAN’s wealth of automotive and system integration experience and the power of Samsung’s display R&D and scale, support OEMs in their desire to offer bigger, more impactful user experiences to drivers and passengers alike.”

Ready On Demand and external MICROPHONE

The last I saved as I think it is the most important. The Ready on Demand thing is simply (!) about their software as well as hardware and is about new algorithms for audio or other things becoming available so that you can upgrade your car at will, like your phone. But the real mad thing is a fully external and waterproof Piezo microphone on the outside of your car. It coudl be used to detect sirens and thus add external audio to your system as a warning and do a whole bunch of other stuff. Finally, the Harman SP, as after all, they DO know their microphony!

Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone products to enhance the audio experience inside and outside the vehicle. These new products enable a variety of applications to enhance safety and user experience, from detecting emergency vehicle sirens to listening for exterior speech commands from drivers or traffic controllers to detecting glass breakage or vehicle impact.

From increased awareness of outside sounds inside the vehicle to enhanced communication possibilities for drivers, passengers and emergency vehicles on the road, HARMAN’s Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone offer adaptable and future-looking features. The completely sealed piezo-based Sound and Vibration Sensor can be invisibly integrated into a vehicle’s exterior while the External Microphone is designed to withstand environmental elements and can be configured as a single element or multi-element array.

“Audio has the power to deliver incredible experiences for drivers and passengers, and safety is no exception,” said Mitul Jhala, Senior Director, Automotive Embedded Audio, HARMAN International. “With our new embedded audio products, Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone, OEMs can now offer the acoustic sensing and exterior sound detection consumers are looking for, while enhancing safety both inside and outside the vehicle.”

Key features of Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone include:

• Easy vehicle integration: HARMAN’s Sound and Vibration Sensor is a fully developed design that allows for invisible vehicle integration, enabling exterior vehicle speech recognition and acoustic sensing.
• Ready for the future: As future vehicles advance, they will likely be required to include enhanced external sensors to increase awareness of exterior sounds for vehicle occupants and the vehicle systems, such as feeding the acoustic alerts delivered by HARMAN Ready Vision. HARMAN’s Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone provide an integrated sensor product that enables acoustic monitoring of speech commands and sounds on the outside of the vehicle, delivering what consumers need today as opposed to years from now.
• High performance: HARMAN’s Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone exhibit a wide band frequency response for accurate speech recognition and acoustic sensing performance, enabling potential AI features such as audio object detection in HARMAN’s Ready Vision.

HARMAN has more than 30 years of experience designing, optimizing, and integrating automotive microphones and sensors into vehicles. Both the Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone are unique, patented designs and have been specifically designed to meet the needs of OEMs and consumers. Available only through HARMAN, the Sound and Vibration Sensor and External Microphone deliver improved safety features and connectivity for all vehicle segments, from entry level to luxury.

So that’s HARMAN EXPLORE 2023..if you got this far, you rock and if you grasped it all, you are probably in the trade and I salute you!