Garmin has officially announced the launch of its latest automotive infotainment and electronics solution called Unified Cabin™.
According to certain reports, the stated solution is designed to deliver what would be a complete digital cockpit experience across four seating positions, while simultaneously instilling a new ultra-wide front display. With that, the whole mechanism brings its total screen count to six.
Talk about the whole value proposition on a slightly deeper level, we begin from its promise to conceive enhanced theming, where novel branded concepts set an industry standard to prop up for users an immersive and personalized Human Machine Interface (HMI) theming.
Furthermore, the stated theme can be downloaded and installed at run-time to all displays, including the instrument cluster. On top of that, improvements in the context of 3D models and scenery, as well as changes to cabin lighting in each zone, also tread up a long distance to scale up the in-vehicle experience.
Next up, we have AI-driven customization in play. You see, having Generative AI in the mix makes it possible for the new solution to achieve theme customization based on user input. Beyond that, it extends a personalized Voice Assistant for every seat in. The AI Assistant is also trained to know your vehicle, and therefore, help you seamlessly operate the same.
Then, there is a CPD facility, where Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology is deployed to detect which seats are occupied, and at the same time, classify them based on breathing patterns.
“Garmin Unified Cabin has resonated strongly with global automakers because there is nothing else like it on the market today. This scalable solution can be customized to meet the needs of premium and mainline brands and includes a growing number of cabin electronics running off a single System on Chip. We have added many new and unique features to the Android Automotive Operating System and look forward to demonstrating these industry-first capabilities at CES 2025,” said Matt Munn, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Garmin Automotive OEM.
Moving on to the solution’s computer vision and augmented reality capabilities, they link-up to offer you enhanced views of both rear and front blind spots to make intuitive use of the ultrawide display for an unparalleled level of situational awareness.
Another detail worth a mention here is rooted in Unified Cabin’s Device AutoLink, which is updated and optimized for using UWB technology to automatically and intuitively connect your phone, headphones or game controller to whatever seat you choose. Joining that would be a functionality relating to dynamic zoned audio. Here, unique audio streams are distributed across each seat’s headrest speakers, or within Bluetooth™ headphones, so to give each user their own audio and video experience.
The technology in question also presents an interactive home page, which includes a new user interface to an intuitive 3D exterior and interior model.
Hold on, we still have a few bits left to unpack, considering we haven’t yet touched upon how Garmin’s latest brainchild also offers a new and improved dynamic for shared experiences. We also haven’t touched on the option to control everything through a smartphone, enabling remote control access from anywhere.
Rounding up highlights would be the availability of six displays across four zones. These incremental and upgraded automotive grade displays, including ultrawide format display, are provided by Tianma Microelectronics, and they all come decked up with multi-display bonding. These displays also enjoy a AutoGrade™2 Corning® Gorilla® Glass for automotive interiors, provided by Corning Incorporated.
“We continue to showcase our latest technologies and features with an all-in-one Unified Cabin prototype ‘demo buck’ because the Garmin story is always about smart, cost-effective integration. We don’t just develop separate technologies, we develop them to work together as one integrated solution for a superior experience, lower cost and a product that is more than the sum of its parts,” said Craig Puder, Vice President of Garmin Automotive Engineering Solutions.
