UPDATED 01:16 EDT / DECEMBER 28 2016

EMERGING TECH

Car tech coming to CES: face recognition, holograms, Faraday Future’s car and more

Already a staple at the Consumer Electronics Show, car technology will emerge more prominent than ever when the 2017 edition of the show begins next week.

CES, which runs Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas, will provide an opportunity for auto manufacturers to showcase various concept cars and new innovations that will be available in future vehicles. Here’s a look at the car technology and concept vehicles that CES 2017 attendees can expect next week:

BMW to introduce HoloActive Touch system

BMW Group is set to showcase its HoloActive Touch system (pictured above) at CES next week. The HoloActive Touch system acts like a virtual touchscreen, which the driver can control with finger gestures. Commands are confirmed “with what the driver perceives as tactile feedback,” said BMW in a blog post.

The HoloActive Touch system is a mixture of head-up display and a touchscreen with reflections displayed in full color next to the steering wheel at the height of the center console.  

A camera will be able to detect the position of the driver’s fingertips. “As soon as a fingertip makes contact with one of these virtual control surfaces, a pulse is emitted and the relevant function is activated.”

BMW’s HoloActive Touch system does sound quite confusing, but the company will be offering hands-on demonstrations at CES next week.

Continental adds face and fingerprint recognition

continental-biometric-tech

Fingerprint and facial recognition have become commonplace in smartphones and computers, but now a car manufacturer is looking to include the technology in its vehicles. At CES 2017 next week, Continental AG will demonstrate its biometric technology in its vehicles.

An interior camera will be able to scan the driver’s face and offer vehicle personalization, like adjustments of the seat and mirrors, music, temperature and navigation.

The fingerprint recognition would be used to add an additional layer of security. Using two-factor authentication, the driver would need to have the key fob and be able to confirm their identity via the fingerprint sensor.

Continental’s press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 10 a.m. PST.

Faraday Future set to unveil production vehicle

faraday-future

The much-hyped electric carmaker Faraday & Future Inc. (known as Faraday Future) is set to unveil its production version of its vehicle at CES next week. The last few months has seen the company release a series of teaser videos that hint at the vehicle’s features.

In the company’s latest 15-second teaser video, Faraday Future offers viewers a quick glimpse of the vehicle’s interior. The video ends with a silhouette of the vehicle, giving us the best look at the vehicle’s shape to date.

The resignation of two of Faraday Future’s top executives last week as added to the reports that the company is in a dire financial situation.  

Faraday Future will unveil its potential Tesla Motors competitor on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. PST. If you aren’t in Las Vegas you can watch the Faraday Future reveal event on the company’s website.

Visteon’s next-generation Phoenix infotainment platform

The maker of automotive electronics, Visteon Corp. is set to attend CES next week where it will unveil its next-generation infotainment platform – Phoenix.

Phoenix is the first automotive infotainment system to offer a software development kit to create apps, without compromising cybersecurity and over-the-air updates.

Other announcements from Visteon includes an in-vehicle augmented reality windshield head-up display, which will overlay images of the terrain on the windshield.

Honda NeuV concept car

honda-neuv

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has released a teaser image of its NeuV concept car, which the company is set to unveil at CES. The NeuV is an electric vehicle and despite the inclusion of a steering wheel, it will also have autonomous features.

Dubbed as a “commuter vehicle” by the company, the Honda NeuV will come equipped with artificial intelligence called “emotion engine.” Honda said the AI will be able to “enable machines to artificially generate their own emotions” and would provide new ways for drivers and passengers to interact with cars.

Honda will present its “Cooperative Mobility Ecosystem” press conference on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 11 a.m. PST.

Mercedes-Benz to focus on corporate strategy CASE

At CES 2017, Mercedes-Benz (a division of Daimler AG) will focus on the company’s new corporate strategy CASE, made up of four pillars – Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Service and Electric Drive.

The company will also look at new mobility solutions to network vehicles with the smart home. While under the “Fit&Healthy” banner, the company will provide a vision of “how society’s growing health consciousness can be intelligently combined with future mobility”.

The Concept EQ and the Mercedes-Benz Vision Van will also share a stage for the first time in Las Vegas.

Main image via BMW; Images via Continental, Faraday Future, Honda

A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:

Your vote of support is important to us and it helps us keep the content FREE.

One click below supports our mission to provide free, deep, and relevant content.  

Join our community on YouTube

Join the community that includes more than 15,000 #CubeAlumni experts, including Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and many more luminaries and experts.

“TheCUBE is an important partner to the industry. You guys really are a part of our events and we really appreciate you coming and I know people appreciate the content you create as well” – Andy Jassy

THANK YOU