In-vehicle translator feature to be showcased at CES 2018

Luxoft, a global IT service provider has announced that it will showcase the new in-vehicle translator feature co-developed with Ford at CES 2018.

The new feature is designed for commercial vehicle services, like ride sharing, which will allow a passenger and driver who do not speak the same language to communicate. The system is powered by a Smart Device Link (SDL) enabled in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system. The SDL technology is based on Ford’s contribution of its SYNC AppLink software to the open source community in 2013.

The translator feature uses cloud-based translation services, and will not require the passenger to preload an app in their smartphones. Instead, the driver of the commercial vehicle will have downloaded the SDL-enabled app on his or her phone, and can start the system in the vehicle when a passenger enters the ride-sharing car.

“Being able to smoothly control and interact with an in-vehicle infotainment system is now an integral part of the driving and riding experience,” said Alwin Bakkenes, MDirector, Luxoft Automotive. “A lot of hype around in-vehicle entertainment has revolved around installing new gadgets into cars, but some of these are likely to only add more distractions for drivers. In fact, being able to implement mobile device apps into cars through SDL platforms will not only be more relevant for drivers - it will also be safer.”

Oleg Gusikhin, technical leader of Advanced Connectivity Services and Mobility Applications at Ford said, “What’s unique about this application of SDL technology is that it enhances the digital experience in the car for the passenger, as well as the driver. This feature could help make the ride-sharing experience more enjoyable by aiding the communication between passenger and driver.”

SDL is an open source POSIX-compliant technology platform that allows communication between smartphone applications and in-vehicle software. The Smart Device Link Consortium (SDLC) was established in January 2017 as a non-profit that manages open source software for smartphone app development for vehicles and drives an industry standard for in-vehicle apps. Luxoft is a member of SDLC and participating as a technological partner.