Concept Cars

Hyundai miniaturizes its 45 concept car for use to support hospitalized children

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Dec 18, 2020, 5:56 pm

The new car was designed especially to help hospitalized children.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai's 45 concept car was a modern interpretation of the Hyundai Pony Concept that focused on powertrain technology. The 2019 model was the first SUV interpretation of the company's Sensuous Sportiness design aesthetic was shown publicly.

Soon, that concept will be brought to life as the Ioniq 5 midsize crossover. Before that, Hyundai is taking that 45 concept a step further, creating a miniature version of the car for use by young patients at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital in Spain. The vehicle is part of the Little Big e-Motion project that moves children from their beds to treatment rooms, a journey that is considered one of the most stressful trips for children within the confines of the hospital.

Hyundai 45 Spain concept car hospital kids The vehicle transports children from their rooms to treatment areas of the hospital.Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America

The one-of-a-kind mini EV uses Emotion Adaptive Vehicle Control (EAVC) technology in its role. EAVC is an artificial intelligence-based technology that monitors facial expressions, heart rate and respiratory rate, and combines these readings with input from the vehicle including speed, acceleration, noise and vibration. The technology then processes the data using machine learning to optimize the vehicle environment including lighting, climate, music, and fragrance dispenser systems.

Hyundai continues to work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab to develop the technology.

Hyundai 45 Spain concept car hospital kids Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America

"We want our technology to help improve the lives of our customers in various mobility spaces beyond the roads," said Jinmo Lee, Senior Research Engineer at Hyundai Motor who led the project. "We hope the EAVC technology on the minicar will provide a fun, safe mobility experience for young patients and help improve their health outcomes."

Hyundai 45 Spain concept car hospital kids Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America

Watch the video below to see how the concept car works at SJD hospital as a young patient prepares for treatment.

Sharing Hearts with Children, Little Big e-Motion Project | Hyundai Motor Group | Giveaway Event www.youtube.com

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Self-Driving Cars

Honda, Verizon working together to harvest 5G for vehicle-to-infrastructure  communication

Honda is working with Verizon on self-driving cars technology.

Photo courtesy of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

The Mcity campus was designed to be a proving ground for new technologies. Honda and Verizon are utilizing it as such as they partner to explore how Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband and 5G Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) can be used to ensure quick and reliable communication between road infrastructure, vehicles, and pedestrians.

The 5G technology leverages cloud technology to deliver lower latency, a large amount of bandwidth, and improved communication. This communication includes the way that vehicles interact with ther cars, traffic lights, pedestrians and emergency vehicles to improve threat detection and avoid accidents when seconds matter most. That's where the "V2" in acronyms like "V2V" (vehicle-to-vehicle) and "V2X" (vehicle- to-everything).

Honda and Verizon Test How 5G Enhances Safety for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles www.youtube.com

Honda has been working since 2017 to develop a technology that will help to create a collision-free society. The technology, called Safe Swarm, uses V2X communication to enable vehicles to communicate with other road users and share key information such as location, speed, and vehicle sensor data.

There are some obstacles, not the least of which is the need to outfit each vehicle with onboard artificial intelligence capabilities. The use of 5G helps move the AI capabilities from the vehicle to the MEC, reducing the need for AI onboard each vehicle.

"The ability to move computing power to the edge of our 5G network is an essential building block for autonomous and connected vehicles, helping cars to communicate with each other in near real-time and with sensors and cameras installed in streets and traffic lights," said Sanyogita Shamsunder, vice president of Technology Development and 5G Labs at Verizon. "When you consider that roughly 42,000 people were killed in car accidents last year and 94% of accidents are caused by human error, our new technologies including 5G and MEC can help drivers 'see' things before the human eye can register and react helping to prevent collisions and save lives."

Three safety scenarios have been explored as part of the testing:

  • Pedestrian Scenario - A pedestrian is crossing a street at an intersection. An approaching driver cannot see the pedestrian due to a building obstructing the view. Smart cameras mounted in the intersection relay information to MEC using the 5G network. Verizon's MEC and V2X software platforms detect the pedestrian and vehicle and determine the precise location of road users assisted by Verizon's Hyper Precise Location services. A visual warning message is then sent alerting the driver of the potential danger.
  • Emergency Vehicle Warning Scenari - A driver cannot see an approaching emergency vehicle and cannot hear its siren due to the high volume of in-vehicle audio. Verizon's MEC and V2X software receive a safety message from the emergency vehicle and send a warning message to nearby vehicles. The driver receives a visual warning.
  • Red Light Runner Scenario - A vehicle fails to stop at a red light. Using data from the smart cameras, MEC and V2X software detect the vehicle and send a red-light-runner visual warning message to other vehicles approaching the intersection.

You can watch the video of Honda and Verizon's Mcity tests at http://honda.us/5GResearch.

Honda isn't the only company exploring what 5G communication can offer. Pirelli has installed the tech in its tires and BMW recently updated its My BMW app to make it compatible with the new technology. Audi is working on similar technology out on the road in Virginia and Georgia.

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In-Car Tech

GM taps Mapbox for new in-vehicle navigation solution called Maps+

The new Maps+ app will allow drivers to use a navigation system who had not previously purchased navigation.

Photo courtesy of General Motors

General Motors is giving its vehicles a new navigation solution. Maps+, an in-vehicle, app-based way-finding program, will begin rolling out to approximately 900,000 model year 2018 and newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles by the end of 2021, starting on April 30.

"We know customers want an easy and convenient in-vehicle experience that improves over time," said Santiago Chamorro, GM vice president of Global Connected Services. "We listened to customer feedback and developed a product that works seamlessly with our current infotainment systems and provides a highly personalized experience that will iterate throughout the lifetime of the vehicle."

Maps+ was developed in partnership with Mapbox. The new app replaces navigation functionality in already-purchased vehicles that had purchased a navigation system. It provides navigation functionality to drivers of vehicles that did not opt for navigation at the onset.

The new application features Alexa build-in voice control that allows users to listen to music or podcasts using the system's integrated audio apps. A search box allows users to find points of interest, shops, restaurants, parking, and more. There is also embedded speed alert, low fuel recognition, predictive keyboard entry, day and night modes, category shortcuts, rear-time traffic routing, and dynamic mapping capability.

"Our obsession is the driver," said Peter Sirota, CEO of Mapbox. "The map is the canvas for providing the driver with a delightful, easy-to-use experience. From discovering new places to avoiding traffic on your commute to paying at the pump or the plug, Maps+ lays the foundation for an excellent navigation experience. We are excited to build upon this with GM to continue to drive adoption."

GM and Mapbox are committed to continuing Maps+ post-launch, developing new features and improvements based on feedback and metrics.

Maps+ will be available on select vehicles through Connected Vehicle, Premium and App Access subscription plans. Current eligible Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac owners will be notified when their vehicle is eligible for Maps+.

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