Hyundai Mobis to showcase virtual touch at CES

By Nam Hyun-woo

Hyundai Mobis will showcase a slew of new technology suited for autonomous driving cars at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), highlighted by infotainment technology which recognizes a driver's gestures in the air.

According to the auto parts maker, Tuesday, Hyundai Mobis will reveal a series of autonomous driving, eco-friendly, intelligent lighting, and cockpit experience technologies at the 2019 CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 8.

It will be the company's fourth consecutive year at the world's largest consumer technology show.

At the show, Hyundai Mobis will focus on presenting a number of technologies that can only be experienced with level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles, which do not require drivers' attention on the road.

At the center of those new technologies will be virtual touch technology. Instead of touching displays to control infotainment panels, the technology recognizes a driver's gestures in the air and controls various features of the car's infotainment system, Hyundai Mobis said.

For example, when the driver is watching a movie during autonomous driving mode, they can tap in the air to select other movies or adjust the volume. As cameras inside the vehicle capture the driver's eye movements and gestures, the virtual touch feature activates when the driver's eyes and fingertip are directed at the same spot.

Virtual touch is coupled with windshield display, which is transparent during manual driving mode and turns into a screen during the autonomous driving mode. In screen mode, the windshield is blacked out and shows streaming entertainment, trip navigation updates and the real-time surrounding view of the car.

Hyundai Mobis will also showcase emotion recognition technology. With the feature, the car's artificial intelligence will categorize the driver's and passengers' emotions to automatically change the interior ambiance of the vehicle or play music.

Also, the emotion of the driver can be shared with nearby vehicles with the same technology, so it can be used to avoid potential accidents among disengaged or distracted drivers, the company said.

At the show, the company will also reveal its communication lighting concept, which enables autonomous vehicles to communicate with pedestrians and other vehicles on the road using intelligent lighting.

“In the era of autonomous driving, the boundary between the driver and the passenger will disappear and car will play its role as a smart device,” Hyundai Mobis Senior Vice President and Head of Electrical and Electronics R&D Center Chang Jae-ho said. “This year at the CES, Hyundai Mobis will give attendees a broad spectrum of view on how the vehicle of the self-driving era will evolve.”

Hyundai Mobis said it will set up a separate booth showcasing its core products to win orders from global car manufacturers. Earlier this year, it hosted 20 carmakers in North America and China and is in talks with them over new orders.