Harman Announces New Features for its Drive System

Harman, a Samsung subsidiary specializing in connected car technology and other IoT solutions, unveiled a range of automotive features at CES, including an advanced driver monitoring system (DMS) to improve the health and safety of drivers and passengers.

On Wednesday, Harman added non-contact measurement of human vitals such as heart rate, respiration rate and interbeat levels to its Ready Care product to better determine driver health status. Instead of relying solely on an infrared global shutter camera, Harman added an in-cab radar to its sensor suite. Harman says this will also enable the vehicle to detect whether a child has been left unattended.

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Armin Prommersberger, senior vice president of product management at Harman, said:

The company did not say which OEMs it plans to partner with, but when Harman first launched Ready Care, BMW showcased the technology at the North American auto show. Harman also unveiled two new products to enhance the audio experience inside and outside the vehicle for safer driving. Mitul Jhala, senior director of Harman's automotive embedded audio team, said in a statement,

Harman said the SVS can be integrated invisibly on the exterior of a vehicle and the external microphone can process environmental elements such as wind, sun and bad weather. The SVS and external microphone are future-proofed for an autonomous world and can be integrated into a vehicle's larger sensor suite to enhance voice awareness not only for vehicle occupants, but also for self-driving systems, the company said.