Global automotive supplier Marelli will feature its new software-defined interior experience at CES 2024. Built on the company’s centralized architecture, the company says the new technology is an evolution of the company’s digital cockpit.

The software-defined interior comprises a central computing unit powered by the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon cockpit platform and supports up to four zone control units. The interior incorporates digital displays in place of analog interfaces, with content that can be personalized by the vehicle owner, leveraging AI (artificial intelligence).

Innovative displays are a big focus of the interior.

The concept supports several next-generation display technologies, including the HorizonView, Marelli’s pillar-to-pillar display that boasts improved brightness and contrast compared to the previous generation, and a 12-in hidden display that blends into the cabin. It includes one of the first automotive applications of an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, a movable display developed by Marelli with the support of its long-time technology display partner BOE, and its subsidiary BOE Varitronix Ltd. A holographic display hosts Marelli’s Virtual Assistant, an advanced human-machine interface that acts as an in-vehicle co-pilot. It is said to create a unique driving experience and transform the interaction between the car and its occupants.

The interior leverages Marelli’s persona solution for a customizable user experience. Drivers can create a persona profile to define car settings, including seat position, temperature, ambient lighting, music preferences, and ground illumination. The persona profile is stored in the cloud and transitions across different vehicles, ensuring a consistent personalized experience, according to the company.

The interior also features Marelli’s context-aware mobility experience (CAMEX) solution powered by AI, which enables interaction with the vehicle by analyzing the entire environment, both within and around the car. Leveraging Eyeris’ in-cabin monocular 3D sensing AI, including a depth-aware driver monitoring system and occupant monitoring system, CAMEX analyzes a user’s face, body, and hands in three-dimensional space to understand complex behaviors and discerns subtle moods, adapting vehicle settings, and functionalities accordingly. It also prompts interactions with the virtual assistant.

The vehicle’s external environment assumes an active role in shaping the driving experience, from adjusting the A/C to cool down the driver according to their taste on a warm summer day, to suggesting a detour for a pit stop at their favorite restaurant.

The concept integrates Marelli’s software-defined audio platform powered by the company’s centralized architecture. This approach decouples the audio amplifier into the zone-control units, enabling a more flexible and efficient system. With the ability to drive up to 16 speakers, the supplier says the system delivers exceptional sound quality and supports a wide range of audio customization options. Users will be able to personalize their listening experience by selecting from a variety of specialized audio “flavors” developed by industry-leading audio companies.

Marelli’s new sound zoning will allow the driver to transform the car into a “personal conference room.” An optimized background noise cancellation system will effectively isolate the speaker’s voice from any background noise, including music being played, allowing for clear and uninterrupted on-speaker calls even with passengers not participating in the call.

The customization of the user journey continues in the cloud, with Sibros’ Deep Logger service and big data analytics. Vehicle technical data are extracted and analyzed, enabling services such as predictive maintenance, early issue detection, or remote troubleshooting. A vehicle’s software will keep improving thanks to Sibros’ Deep Updater, which provides automatic and vehicle-wide over-the-air updates.