L.A. Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz’s wish is MyCOMAND
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Onboard navigation? AM/FM radio? CD player? What year is this, 2008 or something? Mercedes-Benz is way ahead of the curve with its new (though as yet unavailable) infotainment system. Although the head unit and controls look and feel familiar, what goes on behind the scenes is altogether different.
There is no built-in radio, no CD player, no DVD or hard drive for the navigation system. Instead, a wireless Internet connection brings cyberspace to the cabin. Directions are obtained via Google Maps or Mapquest (known here as off-board navigation). Any radio station in the world that also goes out on the Web can be listened to -- imagine driving through Death Valley and getting the BBC. Users may link up to their home computers and make selections from their downloaded music library, use Voice Over Internet Protocol (like Skype) to make calls, or catch up with this blog by accessing the L.A. Times website (they’d have to be stationary for that last one).
Because information comes from the Internet, it’s all up to date, so road closures, traffic updates, fuel prices and such are provided. There’s even a facility to locate a restaurant or hotel, make a booking and then get route guidance. Naturally, a Bluetooth phone connection is also part of the package.
There are still some features that could be added. Voice activation is an obvious one. So is a link to the car’s onboard computer to facilitate engine diagnostics. The company even spoke about using the traffic update system with the brakes -- if a car was taking a series of corners a little too briskly and there was a holdup just past the next blind bend, the system could slow the car down. Which is a bit Big Brother, but better than having a crash.
Mercedes-Benz has called this system MyCOMAND; COMAND refers to the company’s existing audio/communication/navigation setup and the “My” bit hints at the ability to personalize it. A car can take five years from conception to production -- a heck of a long time on Planet Silicon -- but MyCOMAND can be open-ended, taking advantage of improved network connection speeds and growing ubiquity. The company has been collaborating on this with an IT company up in Palo Alto.
Tech-heads can see the system working in the ConceptFascination car on the Mercedes-Benz stand at the L.A. Auto Show.