Mitsubishi Electric has launched a digital cockpit, Inca Jay, to showcase a suite of technologies for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), cabin safety and enhanced User Experience (UX).

The new digital cockpit provides a Driver Monitoring System (DMS) that monitors drivers and other occupants with a near-infrared camera and radio-wave sensor to prevent accidents, detect occupants and monitor emotions.

The current generation DMS is currently in 2019-2022 model-year vehicles with various global OEMs. The next-gen system in the Inca Jay improves on the technology, using an onboard near-infrared camera to detect driver drowsiness or sudden sickness based on facial expressions (closed eyes, open mouth, etc.) and other body information, including pulse and respiration rates. Face-tracking and image-processing technologies can detect slight variations in skin tone due to changes in heartbeat, even in the presence of vehicle vibrations and/or changes in ambient light. If abnormal physical conditions are detected, the system suggests the driver stop to rest, or can activate an automated emergency-parking function to prevent possible accidents.

A near-infrared camera can detect the presence of occupants and uses the position of a passenger’s face and upper body skeletal points to accurately determine body size.

The new digital cockpit also incorporates a cabin sensor that uses the reflective and transmissive properties of radio waves to detect the presence of children in the camera’s blind spots, such as wrapped in a blanket or down in the footwell and will alert the driver and others nearby in case children are left in the vehicle unattended.

A High-Definition Locator (HDL) allows safer night-time driving by controlling headlights adaptively with internal/external sensors. Headlight control can adapt to the curve and slope of the road and the driver’s direction of view. It automatically identifies where the driver is looking, recognises potentially dangerous hazards, and illuminates objects to enhance safety during night-time driving.

The HDL is also used in UX technologies throughout the vehicle. Paired with augmented reality, location and payment services on the centre display provide bookmarks for parking spots and other landmarks. The system also scans and saves credit card information for easy payment. In addition, gasoline station preferences can be pre-set, and pump detection directs the driver to the nearest available pump.

Multiple entertainment sources are built into the media system with additional entertainment features, including live karaoke transcription, location-based music recommendations and popular gaming platform integration.

Third-Party App Support is compatible with various Android applications. It provides COVID status updates from recognised healthcare sources and time-sensitive weather information.

Inca Jay uses a custom version of the TomTom navigation for Automotive SDK to showcase location-based services and cluster safety augmented reality overlay.

The Inca Jay cockpit is powered by the 3rd Generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, which uses Green Hills Software’s INTEGRITY real-time operating system for performance, safety, and security.

“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 94% of accidents are caused by manual errors,1” said Mark Rakoski, vice president of engineering at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc. He is also responsible for Filament Labs, the newly formed Advanced Engineering arm of Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc. “We developed the Inca Jay automotive cockpit platform with advanced ADAS features designed to help enhance safety and UX on future vehicles.”

“We are very pleased that Mitsubishi Electric selected Green Hills technology and experience for the safe and secure foundation of its advanced digital cockpits and safety technologies,” said Dan Mender, vice-president of business development, Green Hills Software. “The trusted execution of system-critical functions with high-performance graphics and cabin safety functions are key requirements for the cockpit. Global automotive customers can now realise these enhanced features while reducing the cost and time-to-deployment of their next-generation safety-critical digital cockpits.”

“Like Mitsubishi Electric’s Inca Jay, TomTom’s cloud-native navigation has been developed to equip drivers with the most advanced, safe and intuitive user experience. Our innovations are built to harness the most advanced technologies of today and tomorrow,” commented Antoine Saucier, Managing Director, TomTom Automotive. “By integrating augmented reality into TomTom’s latest solution, navigating becomes simpler, safer, and the world becomes easier to understand.” Additional Innovations