New HMI capabilities move into focus
Harman expands “Ready” portfolio for in-cabin systems
Harman’s solutions are available for immediate integration and are targeted at manufacturers seeking to roll out digital in-vehicle functions across multiple platforms at scale.
Harman
Harman is extending its “Ready” portfolio with new software, audio, display and safety solutions for the vehicle interior. The aim is to simplify integration, reduce development effort and support digital in-cabin functions over the vehicle lifecycle.
Artificial intelligence is
increasingly seen as a baseline requirement in the automotive industry.
What differentiates vehicles today is less the presence of individual AI
features and more their integration into stable, verifiable systems that can be
updated reliably over the entire vehicle lifecycle. Against this backdrop,
Harman has expanded its “Ready” portfolio, introducing several new products and
enhancements aimed at supporting OEMs in implementing modern vehicle
architectures with a strong focus on user interaction
and in-vehicle experience.
According to the company, the solutions are available for
immediate integration and are targeted at manufacturers seeking to roll out
digital in-vehicle functions across multiple platforms at scale. Harman’s
stated goal is to reduce integration complexity while shortening development
and validation cycles, without compromising the protection of safety-critical
functions.
Toolchains instead of isolated solutions
As computing architectures become more centralised and
functions with different safety levels converge on shared hardware, development
environments must evolve accordingly. Harman addresses this need with an
expanded SDV toolchain that spans both virtual and physical development
environments.
The cloud-native environment “Ready CQuence Loop” is
designed to unify development, testing and validation processes. It is
complemented by “Ready CQuence Run”, an automotive hypervisor that enables the
isolated execution of safety-critical and non-safety-critical software on the
same hardware platform. Harman states that this technology is already deployed
in more than 20 million electronic control units.
For operation in the field, the company combines
over-the-air updates, incremental software packages (“Smart Delta”) and the
“Ready Link Marketplace”, which provides access to additional functions and
applications. The objective is to roll out software updates in a controlled
manner while limiting the effort required for platform maintenance and backward
compatibility.
Personalisation as a differentiator in the cabin
A further focus of the portfolio expansion lies in personalised in-vehicle experiences, particularly in the
audio domain. With “Ready Stream Share”, Harman introduces a system
intended to enable multiple individual audio zones within a single vehicle. Up
to four occupants can consume different content simultaneously, supported by a
Bluetooth-based architecture and specially tuned low-latency headphones.
Harman is also extending its solutions for acoustic brand
differentiation. “HALOsonic Electronic Sound Synthesis” allows OEMs to develop
distinct vehicle sound characteristics, for example for electric powertrains.
This is complemented by an expanded tuning concept designed to simplify
adaptation. Under the “Harman Branded Audio” umbrella, the company groups
approaches that combine sound with lighting and haptic elements. AI-based
functions are used to adjust audio output dynamically depending on the driving
situation.
In the area of safety, Harman is pursuing a more
context-driven approach. Instead of isolated warning functions, the aim is to
create systems that combine information from the cabin, the vehicle’s
surroundings and connected services. “Ready Care” integrates driver and
occupant monitoring, including functions for detecting vital signs and
determining seating positions more precisely.
With “Ready Aware”, Harman addresses connected warning
services, such as alerts for hazardous locations or intersections. A
machine-learning-based confidence mechanism is intended to reduce false
warnings and avoid information overload. The system is complemented by acoustic
detection of emergency vehicles. The technical foundation is provided by “Ready
Connect”, a family of telematics control units supporting 4G, 5G and satellite
communication. This is intended to ensure that both safety-related and comfort-oriented
services remain available even in regions with limited cellular coverage.
Focus on readability and driver orientation
When it comes to displays and visual systems, Harman places
less emphasis on screen size and more on readability and driver orientation.
With “Ready Display” based on Samsung Neo QLED technology, the company is
bringing HDR10+-certified automotive displays into series production. A more
cost-effective variant is planned to make the technology attractive for
higher-volume vehicle lines as well.
For direct driver visibility, “Ready Vision QVUE” has been
further developed. The system projects information into the driver’s field of
view on the windscreen and adapts brightness and presentation to gaze direction
and ambient conditions. Configuration and UI tools are intended to help OEMs
develop content more quickly and design it with a stronger focus on the driver.
Harman positions the expanded “Ready” portfolio as an
integrated modular system for modern vehicle architectures. Rather than
focusing on individual feature innovations, the approach emphasises the
interaction between software, hardware and user interfaces within increasingly
complex systems. Whether this will significantly reduce development effort,
costs and time to market will become clearer as platforms move into series
production. What is already evident, however, is that as software continues to gain importance, clean
integration and long-term maintainability are becoming central elements of OEM
strategies.
