Latest smart cockpit technologies showcased at CES

At CES 2025, automotive cabins are emerging as a key focus for technology innovation, particularly in display and audio-visual solutions, as companies respond to consumers spending more time in their vehicles.

BOE Technology Group, a leading Chinese display-panel manufacturer, is showcasing advanced smart cockpit technologies, including an intelligent steering wheel, glasses-free 3D displays, wooden displays that seamlessly blend with car interiors when inactive, and switchable privacy displays offering both anti-peeping and sharing modes.

At CES, the world's largest tech show, BOE introduced several innovative applications in car cockpits and cabins, for entertainment, health, office and other scenarios.

For instance, the intelligent steering wheel can monitor the driver's heart rate and the switchable privacy displays enable multiscreen collaboration between the meeting room and vehicle cabin.

"In recent years, BOE has benefited from the development of electric vehicles, with rapid growth in automotive display shipments," said Su Ning, CEO of BOE Varitronix, the sole sales platform of the BOE Group for automotive display and system businesses.

He noted that intelligent features have developed rapidly, particularly in China, where Level 3 autonomous driving has gained widespread acceptance.

"As autonomous driving becomes more widespread, we believe the overall demand for displays will continue to grow. When autonomous driving becomes common, drivers and passengers will have more free time in the car, creating a need for increased interaction," Su explained.

Patrick Rossi, Dolby's vice-president of strategic partnerships, shared similar views.

"What we've observed is that the streaming media for AV (audiovisual) experiences in China is significant, and the demand for those experiences is significant, so our team there has recognized this trend and this need, and help meet that appetite for these experiences," he said. "We have to meet the consumers where they want to consume the content."

Dolby has partnered with Chinese EV maker Li Auto to showcase the latter's Li Mega model outside a hotel in Las Vegas. It is equipped with both Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision visual technologies.

The model was launched last spring in China and is not available in overseas markets. The exhibit during CES is aimed at showcasing the in-car immersive experience to a broader international audience.

Though Dolby Atmos has been featured in some car models, the Li Mega is the first one that features both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.

Chinese companies represent about half of Dolby's automotive partnerships. "Li Auto was the fastest to adopt Dolby Vision alongside Dolby Atmos. I expect others will follow," Rossi said.

He said they were "certainly very proud" of the partnerships in China and that working with these partners was "part of how we bring Dolby experiences into the worldwide market".

For BOE's automotive business, the growth currently stems from China, driven largely by the rapid expansion of the new energy vehicle market. The company anticipates overseas markets will soon undergo similar smart technology transformations, spurring rapid growth in automotive displays.

The company achieved 42 percent of its revenue from overseas markets in the first half of last year and aims to increase this figure to 50 percent to balance domestic operations.

Su attributed the company's strengths to its "comprehensive technological coverage, diverse product range, and international presence", noting that BOE uniquely covers three major categories: traditional LCD, current OLED, and next-generation Mini/Micro LED, while most competitors specialize in only one or two categories.

"The demand for displays in smart vehicles remains clear and strong. As China is the world's largest country for display research and production, we believe integration with the global automotive industry will continue to strengthen," Su said.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com