Digitally real: the CES highlights
Mercedes MBUX Hyperscreen
»The MBUX Hyperscreen reinvents the interaction with the car ,« they proudly say at Mercedes-Benz about their latest innovation. But what's behind the long name and the confident promise? A huge interface, spanning 1.40 meters, that not only uses three seamlessly connected screens, but also integrates the dashboard, infotainment and all other controls. And it does so intelligently. The system learns which features the driver uses, how often and also where - and then suggests them accordingly. In short: »The MBUX Hyperscreen is both the brain and nervous system of the car.» We're impressed.
Sony Airpeak
Have the guys at Sony completely taken off now? At the last CES, they brought along the Vision S vehicle study, this time they have the »Airpeak« camera drone in their digital luggage. The quadrocopter is intended to confidently attack the current top player DJI. As the market leader in system cameras itself, Sony brings its own devices into the air with the »Airpeak«. And anyone who knows the situation on the camera market knows that the »Airpeak« is anything but a castle in the air. It is meant to be quite serious.
BMW iDrive
We've already seen what Untertürkheim has to offer. But the sparring partner from Munich is also stepping up its game when it comes to infotainment. And to mark the twentieth anniversary of its then groundbreaking iDrive, it is announcing the next generation of the operating system in BMW vehicles. This no longer responds only to turning and pressing a wheel in the center console, but also to speech, look and gestures. What else has changed in this time is demonstrated by Bayerische Motorenwerke in a tongue-in-cheek video. In it, the first BMW with the system in the center console, the 7 Series from 2001, and the ultra-modern SUV iX meet. Debate and self-deprecating comments on the development of mobility included.
Panasonic »VR Glasses«
After one year, Panasonic brings the »VR Glasses«, the revised version of its visually quite appealing and particularly slim virtual reality glasses. The look of classic glacier glasses, which was already convincing in the predecessor, did not need an overhaul. The earpieces, which are supposed to fit better, and the integrated speakers, which replace the headphones, have been changed. Panasonic also improves the VR technology: Finally, room tracking is possible and the resolution per eye increases to 2,560 by 2,560 pixels per eye. These are nice prospects.
Sono Sion
Here comes the sun: Sono present their second prototype generation at the CES. Yet the minivan is also something special in the growing world of electromobility: With solar cells in the body, the car should namely earn up to 34 kilometers of additional range per day, and the air for the interior is to be processed by moss. Sounds ambitious, but it will also go into series production. Next year, the makers promise.