Harman’s Digital Cockpit platform brings Bixby to cars

Harman International became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung less than a year ago. The company didn’t just own a variety of premium audio brands. It has made significant technological advancements in connected technologies for the automotive industry.

Samsung and Harman now have a joint mission to become the leader in the in-car connectivity market. To that end, Harman today unveiled a reinvented digital cockpit platform for all car types that also brings Bixby to the car.

Harman’s Digital Cockpit platform

Harman’s new Digital Cockpit platform provides a suite of scalable and flexible premium experiences that will suit the lifestyles of modern users without compromising on safety. The platform will be offered to car manufacturers in standard and advanced system configurations.

It can seamlessly integrate the instrument cluster with the center console through voice, haptic feedback, physical knobs and steering wheel controls in a single, center screen which will display all of the important information and features.

The platform will make it possible for drivers to safely interact with their in-car technology without having to divert focus from the road. This will be made possible through a projection mode for services and apps via a user’s smartphone.

The premium configuration of the Digital Cockpit can combine the driver’s entire connected lifestyle across the Internet of Things. The in-car user experience will be personalized through a multi-display layout which leverages Harman’s Ignite Platform. It will bring services like Bixby, portable profiles, augmented reality and more.

Bixby in the car will enable occupants to complete tasks using voice commands, touch, gesture and context-based triggers.

It remains to be seen if and when car manufacturers start to adopt this new platform. It sounds promising on paper but it won’t see the light of day until a car manufacturer is willing to put it inside one of its cars.