Auto suppliers eye future business at CES

Though automakers are getting more realistic about just how quickly they will reach a fully-autonomous automotive future — the "Level 5" status — and are scaling back on some of their ambitious plans, advanced driver-assistance systems and AV technology will still be big topics for suppliers who aim to be at the forefront of the future during CES in Las Vegas, starting Jan. 7.

Also atop the agenda: technologies designed to take advantage of new 5G high-speed wireless networks and next-generation connectivity. They are expected to enhance autonomous driving and vehicle-to-infrastructure, vehicle-to-vehicle and cellular-vehicle-to-everything — or C-V2X — applications.

Redesigning the vehicle's interior based on changes in cockpit architecture will also be a focus for many of the suppliers that will attend CES.

Here are a few of the top technologies from auto suppliers to watch for this year. Other technologies will be made public throughout the week, most of them relying on connectors and interactive screens made from a variety of resins.

German auto supplier Continental AG has already won a 2020 CES Innovation Award for its "Transparent Hood," which relies on cameras and a screen to show drivers exactly what is underneath the front of their cars, rather than a clear material.

The hood uses four cameras and a control unit within Continental's "surround view" system to display images on a screen from beneath the car.

"The driver can easily see the ground view immediately in front of them, allowing for additional safety and convenience while driving," Continental said in a news release. "This first of its kind technology has the potential to make a major impact on drivers everywhere, especially with reducing vehicle damages while parking."

Continental also will showcase its "holistic" human machine interface, which combines auditory and visual cues for human-machine communication inside and outside an autonomous vehicle. The HMI will provide a number of cues, such as when pedestrians are detected in the path of the CUbE, the supplier's development shuttle for autonomous technologies.

Waiting passengers can track a shuttle's location, and the vehicle will display a welcome message when it arrives.

Inside, there is a display with trip and local-services information and notifications. The system also provides sounds that let pedestrians know they are in the vehicle's path and caution them to move.

Once it stops, the shuttle will notify pedestrians when they can safely cross.

Van Buren Township,Mich.-based electronics supplier Visteon Corp. is unveiling its microZone advanced display technology. According to Upton Bowden, Visteon director of technology, microZone can drive various types of displays, including those in the instrument cluster and center stack.

MicroZone is a high-contrast and low-power display technology. "Most displays — almost all displays within the automotive environment — have extremely complex environment conditions to deal with," Bowden told Automotive News. "[MicroZone] is a much simpler system to package."

Visteon says this technology also allows for easier over-the-air updates and improved security.

As traditional suppliers seek a stake in the future of mobility, many are using their expertise in interior technologies to bring changes to the cockpit. German supplier Bosch won a 2020 CES Innovation Award for its new 3D display, which uses passive 3D technology to generate a three-dimensional effect for images and warning signals inside the cockpit. The goal of this technology is to allow drivers to consume visual information faster and easier than when it's displayed on conventional screens.

The display taps into a range of new technology available through parts such as organic LED, or OLED, screens made using a flexible film substrate.

Aisin Seiki will unveil its I-mobility TYPE-C20 concept vehicle, an automated, bus-like ride-sharing vehicle intended for short destinations.

The Japanese supplier's concept vehicle has an electric ramp for accessible boarding and an in-cabin monitoring system to detect a passenger's facial direction and eye movement. The vehicle also incorporates Aisin electric vehicle components such as its eAxel electric four-wheel-drive unit, rail-free power sliding doors and thermal management products.