Audiovox Appoints New Director of LBS

Audiovox Electronics Corp. announced Wednesday the appointment of Joe Tegerdine to the post of Director of Location Based Products and Services.
Tegerdine was recently Senior Director of Business Development and U.S. General Counsel for Wistron Neweb Corp., a Taiwan based manufacturer.

At Wilstron, he successfully secured a number of multi-million dollar machine-to-machine communication (M2M)  programs covering mobile health, smart grid and transportation. He led the certification effort with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, and secured the manufacturing contract to supply communication modules for the largest deployment of cellular smart meters in the U.S.,” said Audiovox.

“We have identified M2M and Location Based Services as significant growth opportunities for our company and as many of you saw at CES in January we unveiled our first product in this category- -Car Connection under the Audiovox brand and announced our distribution partnership with Tagg the Pet Tracker under the Qualcomm brand,” said Tom Malone, president of Audiovox Electronics Corp. “Joe brings a unique skill set to the team as he has a very thorough understanding of the market and has vast experience in creating the partner relationships required to succeed.”

Source: Audiovox Electronics

Audiovox Parent Sees Some Car Audio Gains

Audiovox Electronics parent VOXX Corp. announced gains in sales of OEM and traditional car audio for fiscal 2012 ended in February.

Aftermarket car audio and security sales rose but were offset by lower sales of satellite radio and fulfillment of FLO TV products (discontinued last year).

The company recently reported an increase of nearly 5 percent in combined car audio, security and OEM sales for the fiscal year ended in February compared to a year earlier.   OEM sales alone grew by 14.8 percent over the year earlier but were offset by a $20.8 million downturn in satellite radio/FLO TV fulfillment.

The satellite radio segment, however, is expected to see an increase this coming year, Pat Lavelle, VOXX President and CEO told analysts Tuesday.

VOXX also expects to be a key player in mobile DTV (digital TV for moving vehicles and portables) as the service begins to roll out more aggressively over the next 12 to 18 months.  Through VOXX’s recent purchase of antenna maker Hirschmann, a leader in mobile DTV tuners, the company believes it will have “a first mover advantage” in the segment.

VOXX is now a company made up of about $500 million annually in car audio and OEM sales, $200 million in high end audio and $200 million in accessories, it told analysts Tuesday.

Net sales for the year reached $707.1 million, up almost 26 percent from a year ago.  Net income for the year rose to $25.6 million from $23 million (but would have been slightly less than a year ago if not for a higher tax benefit this year).

Total electronics sales grew 35 percent to $561 million compared to $415.2 million a year ago. Accessories sales fell 0.3 percent to $146 million.

During the fiscal year, Klipsch, (purchased in March 2011) generated about $169.5 million in sales.

Audiovox said it expects sales to hit $900 million for fiscal 2013.

CEO Pat Lavelle noted, “Many of our core product lines are expected to grow organically this year and we see increased potential in the 2nd half of the year backed by new product introductions and new OEM programs.” These products include new car tracking systems launching with Sprint.

Kenwood Puts Driver Assist on Roadmap

Kenwood may offer driver assist products in the future, joining other suppliers such as Mobileye, Alpine and Audiovox.

“It’s on our roadmap…but it’s too soon to talk about it,” said Kenwood’s Keith Lehmann.

Audiovox also told us it is working on a prototype for a blind spot detection product, but it too is not ready to announce firm details.  In addition, Audiovox hopes to ship its delayed aftermarket lane departure warning system in about 90 days.  As announced earlier, the system will carry a price of about $599 and will be aimed at both the retail and expeditor markets.

While the driver assist category has been slow to gain headway in the aftermarket, it bears much potential say industry members. Audiovox’s Tom Malone notes the products require “intensive” reliability testing.  “There’s a lot of software involved, and a lot of different vehicle configurations so they are not easy to get into the market…..it’s got to be reliable and unique for every vehicle.”

But he believes the products will be met with strong demand.  “Absolutely, consumers are ready for this.  Blind spot detection is a great product.  The consumer gets it in about 30 seconds and it’s one of those things nice to have in the car, once it’s made affordable and people can get them at a retail store or car dealer….  and lane departure warning as well,” Malone added.

Sony said driver assist products “is not part of our future offering,” according to a spokeswoman.

In driver safety, Alpine offers an active back up camera that provides audible and visual warnings of moving objects detected behind the vehicle.  The company would not reveal future products but noted it has a full driver assist testing facility in Japan and is researching additional products and features.

Alpine’s Steve Crawford said the category represents an opportunity for specialists since they are better positioned than mass merchants to explain the products to customers and install them.

Steelmate confirms it is on track to offer, what may be the first blind spot detection device for the aftermarket this September.  The device plugs into the car’s OBDII port and is expected to cost about $399.

Source: CEoutlook

Pioneer Transforms Aftermarket Navigation in Japan

Pioneer announced delivery in Japan this July of its head up display that now adds augmented reality navigation.  A holographic image on the windshield shows the car in real time, photo realistically moving down the road, with information on the next turn.

The system can be mounted on 70 percent of existing cars.  The head up display projector mounts where the sun visor sits on the driver’s side.

Not for penny pinchers, the unit costs the equivalent of about $4,000.   Pioneer showed a scaled down version of the system at CES for the past 2 years, and said that it would eventually come to the U.S. market.  A spokesman in Japan said the product will not come to our shores this year, however,

The device is called “Cyber Navi.”   It can work with a front mounted camera, displaying the image from the camera while superimposing information on it.

The system gives you a 37-inch long color image with a resolution of 720 by 260 pixels. Bluetooth is used to communicate between the head up display (HUD) and the navigation system.

The HUD was developed with U.S.-based MicroVision.  It uses red, green and blue lasers for the light source and MEMS mirrors, said Nikkei Business Publications.

Also, it captures images of speed limit signs and gives the driver an audible alert.

Source: CEoutlook,  Nikkei Business Publications via Engadget

Photo via Engadget

Audiovox to Develop Bongiovi DSP for Expeditors, OEM

VOXX International, parent of Audiovox Electronics, announced it finalized an agreement with AVG Inc.  to become the exclusive distributor of the Bongiovi Digital Power Station (DPS) for the car expeditor and OEM markets.

The Bongiovi DPS enhances the sound of a traditional car stereo, and the deal allows Audiovox to market premium sound systems.

VOXX and AVG will also work together to develop applications for the technology for the OEM market.  And they are working on new applications for the Audiovox expeditor network, as the technology “easily integrates with both new and used cars,” said President of Audiovox Electronics, Tom Malone.

“The addition of DPS technology based applications enhances our automotive solutions for our OE partners, and will enable them to lower their acquisition costs for premium car sound while helping them differentiate their value-added solutions,” said Malone, adding, “…We believe the patented DPS technology applications can potentially change the automotive sound landscape as it provides car manufacturers with the ability to take a basic factory sound system and dramatically improve audio quality without the need to upgrade to higher-end systems. Additionally, this will resonate well with consumers who want a premium sound experience in their vehicles.”

DPS was developed by Tony Bongiovi, the critically acclaimed sound engineer and record producer for Bongiovi Acoustics. It digitally re-masters the audio signal in real-time to compensate for acoustical problems in the car.  VOXX says the technology “extends the frequency response of car speakers and maximizes the frequency-specific power distribution of a vehicle’s head-unit amplifier.”

DPS applications are also designed and tuned for the individual vehicle so they are as custom as the other OE components.

Larry Frederick Joins Diamond, Cerwin Vega

It appears Diamond Audio/Cerwin Vega parent, Domestic Investment Group, is trading key managers with Hertz parent Elettromedia.

Larry Frederick, a veteran industry product developer, has just joined Domestic Investment Group as Domestic Sales & Marketing Director after leaving Elettromedia.

This follows, in direct reverse,  the exit of Rob Wempe as Domestic’s National Sales Manager who moved to  Elettromedia as Director of Elettromedia-USA in December.

Also Jason Digos, who was Regional Sales Manager for Domestic  just moved to Elettromedia as Regional Sales Manager and Manager of Dealer Training and Technical Service.

Frederick said, “I can’t wait to hit the streets with our reps and retailers and show them what we have to offer.  The future that I see looks really bright as we go into 2012 and 2013 as we are already working on new and innovative products.”

Frederick is  considered one of the pioneers of high end car audio and  has developed over a 1,000 car audio products over his 25-year career.

Bob Chanthavongsa remains Director of Sales, Worldwide for Domestic Investment Group.

In addition to Diamond Audio and Cerwin Vega, Domestic Investment Group LLC owns the Caché, and IQ Smart Solutions brands.

Source: Domestic Investment Group

 

Directus Changes Name; Ships Audi Kit

Directus, maker of the Prodigy One and other car aftermarket solutions has changed its name to Intraphex as of May 1.

In addition, the company announced a new navigation solution for Audi vehicles, which also has options for WiFi, Bluetooth and other features.

Thirdly, the company announced that its hardware factory, Wondetroup, in Taiwan has purchased a minority stake in Directus, now Intraphex.  This gives Intraphex immediate access to a team of 20 additional software and hardware engineers based in Asia and the U.S., it said.

“Even though the branding is changing the core company ownership and values are still in place under the new Intraphex brand name,” said the company.  All other aspects of the business remain the same and Intraphex will support all warranty issues of Directus products, it said.

The new Audi system falls under Intraphex’s Prodigy One series.  The kit lets Audi owners add navigation with a factory look and feel and touch screen operation.  It applies to A4, A5, A6, A8, Q5 and Q7 owners 2007 to present who did not purchase navigation as a factory installed option.

The system includes a glass overlay to the factory screen so users get touch screen control over navigation and a media player.  The system also adds a USB port for phone charging or flash drivers and capability for a backup camera.  Options that may be added to the Prodigy One system include Bluetooth, in-car WiFi and radar detection.   The system has a suggested retail price of $1,699 and ships on May 15.

This is the 10^th Prodigy One OEM solution.  Versions of the system are also available for aftermarket brands Pioneer, Jensen and Clarion.

Intraphex, a Tatmar LLC company was founded in 2009.  It says its sales were up 185 percent last year over the prior year and are on track to climb another 100 percent this year.

Source: Intraphex

Avidworx Offers Free Displays to Worthy Dealer

Avidworx Productions Inc. is accepting submissions for its second annual Pay it Forward giveaway to help ‘raise the profile of mobile electronics retailers everywhere, one store at a time.’

The lucky recipient will receive a free Avidworx car electronics retail displays to help store sales and appearance.

Last year’s recipient was Lance Putnam of Audio Center in Richmond, KY who received $16.000 in electronics showcases.

Putnam said, “We have had our new showcases for a couple of months now, and the customer response has been wonderful. People naturally gravitate towards the interactive display …We have seen an increase in remote start/security upgrades on about 20 percent of our tickets to the tune of $150 to $250.”

He adds, “My favorite display is the back-up camera and monitors. This is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our business. Selling back-up cameras with this showcase is like selling Snickers bars at a Weight Watchers convention.”

In exchange for the new product showcases, Putnam agreed to “pay it forward” by contributing a small share of his sales back into the program. After a few years, the Pay It Forward fund will be self-sustaining, Avidworx said.

The winner of this year’s Pay It Forward program will be announced at the conclusion of the Consumer Electronics Show on Jan. 11, 2013.

To qualify, a store must “Like” the Avidworx Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AVIDWORX), and write a little about their store(s) and their goals.

Avidworx said, “The value of the prize package will depend on the chosen retailer’s needs, goals, existing product lines and where we feel Avidworx can make the greatest difference.”

“Over the years, as we’ve worked with hundreds of retailers to upgrade and diversity their retail environments, we noticed that a lot of stores were falling behind,” said Avidworx President Marcel Newell. “While the products themselves are more advanced, the retail experience has not kept up. We know from our customers and research that our interactive showcases increase sales, that it pays to diversify, that customers from all walks of life are looking for a clean, interactive and user-friendly experience. We know that a good presentation can counter negative trends like internet comparison shopping, and that people will pay more — and buy more — when a store looks like it’s worth it.”

Source: Avidworx

Larry Frederick Leaves Elettromedia

Prominent, veteran car audio product developer Larry Frederick has left Elettromedia and is entertaining other possibilities in car electronics.

Frederick is a pioneer in car audio who has developed over 1,000 products in his career.  He holds 2 design patents and his creations have won numerous design and engineering awards.

Frederick was a Technical Director for 5 years at Elettromedia, which sells Hertz and other high end audio brands.  He was the lead product developer for Phoenix Gold in its heyday in the ‘90s and he created the noted ‘Voice of the Highway’ line at Altec Lansing.  He has also held posts at Alpine, Proton, Coustic, Concept and MTX.

Frederick says he looks forward to developing new “products, cultures, and companies that want to hit the independent car audio market.” Frederick may be reached at lafrederick49@gmail.com.

Source: CEoutlook

MERA Offers Revenew Webinar Next Week

If you want to get noticed on the  web, and  add more traffic to your Facebook page, MERA, the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association, invites you to a ½ hour webinar on May 10^th at noon Pacific/ 3pm Eastern.

Click here to register.

Revenew does most of the work of creating a social network campaign for you. It offers the ability to:

1. BUILD your database with list management and Facebook programs
2. STAY top of mind with ready-to-go e-newsletters and e-flyers
3. FILL the pipeline with co-branded lead generating campaigns
4. EXPAND your reach with referral and relationship marketing

The more suppliers and dealers join the program, the broader and more effective the marketing becomes. Over 200 MERA members have already joined. MERA members receive $100 on their Revenew account to get started! Just go to revenewonline.net to sign up for your free account today!

Vance Pflanz, owner of Pflanz Electronics.offered a testimonial: “We have already seen a significant boost in sales directly attributable to the Revenew program and can even measure success with Revenew’s precise tracking programs. “

For more information about this program, dealers should contact MERA’s Marketing Specialist at Revenew, Brian Calhoun | 847-359-9250 x35 | bcalhoun@revenew.com

Suppliers should contact Kara Holder | 847.359.9250 x32 | kholder@revenew.com | www.revenewonline.com

Kenwood announced a program with Revenew this week.

TomTom Adds Free Roadside Assistance

TomTom announced it will offer free roadside assistance along with its “Start” portable navigation devices (PNDs), and it will extend the offer to its VIA and GO LIVE products in the coming months.

The service provides a basic level of roadside support, including the “quick and reliable dispatches of responsible and professional service providers with a simple phone call from anywhere in the U.S,” said the company.

Users also receive:

• Emergency police, fire or medical dispatch.
• Repair facility referral – Helps traveling motorists in need of repairs find a nearby repair center.
• Latitude/longitude vehicle location identification – automatically pinpoints motorists’ location from their TomTom device, to help road service professionals expedite service.
• Cross Country Perks – A discount savings program offering special deals and shopping convenience through a host of well-recognized merchants across the country.
• An offer to receive 20 percent off the first tow (up to $25, online registration required).

The  program joins TomTom’s paid Roadside Assistance program with additional  services offered through Cross Country Motor Club with access to more than 30,000 towing and road service professionals around the clock.

The free basic roadside option is good for 4 years or until TomTom’s provider no longer offers TomTom Roadside Assistance.

Source: TomTom

 

 

JVC’s 12V Video with Halestorm Has New Focus

JVC Mobile’s fifth “Turn Me On” campaign is a bit different this year.  The girls in the car are gone and instead, the company is showing a longer “Rocumentary-style” viral video showing hard rock band Halestrom on a road tour.

The video also shows off JVC’s in-dash AV/ navigation receivers using apps like  MotionX GPS and iHeartRadio  from a smartphone.

You can view the video here.

JVC’s “Turn Me On” campaigns for car audio launched in 2008 and have won 40 million combined views amounting to over 2 billion brand impressions.

This year’s video will have a 3-episode format. The video above is Chapter 1, which released Tuesday.  Each video will show JVC’s in-car AV/navigation receivers with a popular iPhone app.

The company is also launching a  Facebook contest to celebrate JVC Mobile’s 30^th Anniversary in the USA and the launch of the new video.

Source: JVC Mobile Entertainment

Scosche Plans Expansion in Car Audio

Scosche Industries has hired former Alpine product developer Jason Kemmerer, as it plans to expand its car audio lineup, it announced.

Kemmerer, who was Product Planning Division Manager at Alpine, and “the driving force behind products such as PDX, Type-R and Imprint over the past 14 years,” will be responsible for “expanding the current line of automotive products” and “the direction of new product development” at Scosche.

“We want to revolutionize car audio again…not commoditize it! Bringing in Jason Kemmerer will allow us to expand our product line up in an innovative way.  His ideas will be heard and acted on,” said Kas Alves, Scosche Exec VP.

In his new role of Director of Product Management-Automotive, Kemerrer will also oversee technical support teams and work closely with marketing and sales teams.

“With his expertise, Scosche looks forward to reinventing the integration between the consumer aftermarket and original equipment that exists in the vehicle,” said Roger Alves president, Scosche Industries.  “I am personally excited about working closely with Jason to reshape our future.”

Scosche Industries is parent to brands including Scosche, REALM, EFX, BlueFusion and Accumat.

Source: Scosche Industries

Directed Ships Quick Install XpressStart for GM, Chrysler

Directed is shipping new kits that work with GM and Chrysler cars to reduce installation time for adding remote start or remote-start-from-a-phone.

Directed’s XpressKit  offers a smart interface that uses the car’s existing technology to bypass the need for a remote start module.  The kits now shave an hour off installation time for remote start as they come bundled with the proper wiring harness plus a SmartStart module (for smartphone control over remote start).

In the past, users needed both a remote start module and an interface kit if they wanted to add remote start to a vehicle.  But increasingly, newer cars are shipping with basic technology for the feature already built-in (sometimes it’s activated and sometimes the car is only remote start-capable).

“Now the interface does it all by harnessing the car’s technology.  That’s the future of our industry,” said Jim Jardin, Directed VP Marketing.

The kits can also add SmartStart GPS (vehicle tracking) to a factory remote start system, or they can add unlimited range and smartphone control.

The kits permit use of your factory key transmitter to control the system.  And the kits are firmware updatable.

They work with GM and Chrysler cars model years 2008 and later and include 3 Chrysler and 2 GM models.

The kits began shipping on Friday starting at $299 street price.

Specifically, they are designed to work with RSR (remote start ready) or RXT (range extender ready) vehicles.

Source: Directed

The Future of Teen Tracking

AT&T wants to play a leading role in “smart car solutions” in the future and so it has launched a research project that could be the future of teen tracking.  The technology might also be used to tell if an elderly driver is no longer driving safely.

The company has created a device that plugs into the car’s on-board computer to monitor a teen’s driving in real time AND that works with his cellphone so the parent can remotely disable the phone if the kid is texting while driving.

The device transmits info such as car speed, accelerating, steering and braking, as well as GPS coordinates.  Then the phone, through an app, sends out information on its usage.

AT&T then uses cloud processing to analyze the two data streams and add data such as posted speed limits.

Parents can then be alerted as to where their teen is, if he’s wearing a seat belt, if he braked abruptly and if he was texting while any of that happened.

Then the parent can selectively turn on and off phone features.

The system can reveal one’s term driving habits and may also be used for insurance tracking—if a driver agrees to use the technology, he might receive a discount on insurance rates.

In the case of teen tracking,  the device may be unplugged from the engine compartment, but the system would know it had been disabled, and the parent would get an alert.

AT&T said it might open up the system to developers to create additional services such as roadside assistance, theft management and car maintenance.

The project came out of AT&T’s innovation center in Israel as a result of a “fast pitch” presentation by Traffilog, which tracks fleets.

“We decided to repurpose Traffilog’s enterprise fleet management software, mesh it up with the AT&T Network and create a real time smart car policy solution allowing parents to control and understand teen driving habits,” said AT&T’s web page.

At this point, the system is still a research project without a commercial launch date.

Source: Technology Review, AT&T

Photo via Technology Review

Rockford Ships Marine Amplifiers

Rockford announced it is now shipping a new line of marine audio amplifiers.

The Class D models are built to marine grade specifications and include a marinized circuit board and chrome plated hardware.

Models include an M400-4D and M600-4D–both four-channel amps– and two mono amps, the M750-1D and M1200-1D.

  New Marine Amplifier Specs & US Pricing:

Crux Adds In-Car Bluetooth Kit for GM/Chrysler

The Crux in-car Bluetooth solution is now available for many General Motors and Chevrolet car radios, expanding the application for the new Bluetooth solution.

Crux Bluetooth solutions come with wiring harnesses for specific cars and tie into the factory radio controls or steering wheel controls.

The new BEEBG-33 Bluetooth kit will work with most 2006-2012 GM vehicles including SUVs and light trucks such as Tahoes, Escalades and Denalis.

“We’ve had kits for Toyota, Ford and most of the Japanese cars across the board and Kia and Hyundai.  But out West a lot of people drive trucks, especially in Texas.  This will help expand sales,” said acting sales manager Mike Beyersdoerfer, also owner of rep firm BEI.

Another GM kit will be added shortly to handle many car models back to 2003.

Crux’s Bluetooth kits allow users to keep their factory radios and add Bluetooth without the need for a control/display.  The unit will automatically mute the radio, CD, satellite radio, etc., when a call comes in and resume the music when the call ends.

The new kit with the GM wiring harness has a suggested retail price of $209 for the package.

Source: Crux Interfacing Solutions

It’s a 2-Horse Race in Smartphones Now

Smartphone makers Apple and Samsung are expected to continue their lead in the smartphone race, and could pull further ahead of the pack.

While Apple and Samsung together have about half the market share in phone sales (as of Q4), they won 91 percent of the operating profits in the category, leaving Nokia, BlackBerry parent Research in Motion and HTC on a downslide, said The Wall Street Journal.

The two continue to gain share. In Q4, Apple’s share hit 23.5 percent, up from 16 percent a year earlier. Samsung’s share soared to almost 23 percent from less than 10 percent.

Conversely, Nokia sales fell 23 percent last year and its stock price has lost almost 90 percent of its value since the iPhone launched in 2007.

And that’s just in smartphones.  Looking at all consumer electronics products in the U.S., including computers, Apple won 19 percent of all the spending in CE over the recent holiday season, as per the NPD Group.  (It tripled its share in just 2 years).

Apple is having an impact on Best Buy as well. Best Buy stores sell less than $1,000 in goods per square foot per year, while Apple sells more than 6 times that amount, according to RetailSales.  If Apple produces a TV as rumored, the impact on Best Buy could be greater.

Apple is expected to post Tuesday evening,  a profit of $9.2 billion for Q1 through March, about the same profit expected from the world’s reigning oil company, Exxon Mobil.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post 

 

Cadillac Shows Off a Semi Self-Driving Car

Cadillac announced it is road testing new Super Cruise technology that lets the car steer itself on the highway.
Super Cruise is cruise control on steroids. A sensor detects any cars ahead and slows the car to match their speed, then it also keeps the car centered within a lane on a highway. And it also employs automatic braking. So, yes, it just about drives the car for you through a mix of radar, ultrasonic sensors, cameras and GPS map data.

GM calls it “semi-autonomous” technology because the system still has limitations. If the lane markings on the highway are missing, the system might have trouble. Also weather conditions could affect system performance. So the driver must be ready to steer.

The full system could be ready for cars by 2015, but aspects of it will appear on the 2013 Cadillac XTS and ATS luxury sedans. They will get virtual front and rear bumpers that bring the car to a stop if they sense an impending collision. They also have full range adaptive cruise control that can bring a car to a full stop and then resume speed automatically.

GM says the systems are the first for Cadillac to provide “360 degrees of crash risk detection and enhanced driver assist features.
The features include:
• Rear Automatic Braking
• Full-Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control
• Intelligent Brake Assist
• Forward Collision Alert
• Safety Alert Seat
• Automatic Collision Preparation
• Lane Departure Warning
• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Adaptive Forward Lighting
• Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines
• Head Up Display

The aim of the systems is to lessen the workload for the driver and to promote safety.

“In the coming years, autonomous driving systems paired with advanced safety systems could help eliminate the crash altogether by interceding on behalf of drivers before they’re even aware of a hazardous situation. More than ever, consumers will be able to trust their car to do the right thing,” said GM’s John Capp, Director of Global Active Safety Electronics and Innovation.

The key to delivering semi-autonomous driving will be to integrate lane-centering with forward-looking cameras that detect lane markings and GPS map data to detect curves in the road and other road characteristics, said Capp.

Google, Volkswagen and others have also demonstrated self-driving or semi-autonomous cars.

To date, only Nevada has created regulations for self-driving vehicles.

Source: Cadillac via Time Magazine

New Car Radio Touchpad Controller

A new touchpad has been developed by a leading auto supplier that can be placed in an arm rest or the center of the steering wheel to let you easily control the radio or even a mobile phone.

While Audi already offers a touchpad in the center console of some of its higher end vehicles, the new device from TRW Automotive Holdings is relatively low in cost and might be used in every day cars.

The touchpad lets you trace a letter such as “R” on the device to access the radio, or “N” for navigation.  By tracing a few letters you can access a song on a mobile phone connected to the radio.

The touchpad can also be placed in the center console in addition to the steering wheel or the arm rest of a door.

TRW says its touch pad also gives you an audible acknowledgement of whatever you write, so no need to give it a second glance.

The device can recognize numbers and symbols as well as letters.  And it may even be used to send messages.

TRW’s touchpad only uses a few sensors unlike typical capacitive screens to achieve the reduced cost, according to Design News.

When the user touches the screen it sends a signal to a microcontroller that can recognize the changes in capacitance (electrical charge from touch) and “understand” the script.

The device will be ready for production this year.

TRW said it’s research has shown that the use of in-vehicle handwriting recognition operation reduces driver distraction by 78 percent “compared with the alphanumeric keyboard method.”

Based in Livonia, MI, TRW produces integrated vehicle control and driver assist systems, braking systems, steering systems, and many other car components.  It reported sales of $16.2 billion in 2011.

Source: TRW,  Design News

Photo via Design News

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