Delphi develops full front-cabin gesture-control system

Electronics company Delphi has developed and produced a next-generation gesture-control system that monitors both the driver and passenger in full. 

Recognised gestures control infotainment and other elements of the car in a large-scale upgrade to the current method of gesture-control detection, including higher-resolution cameras and more advanced gesture-learning technology. 

The company has produced two working prototypes of the system in preparation for its adoption by mainstream OEMs. The premium segment is targeted for the technology, just as it is with the more limited current system, and Delphi revealed to Autocar that two mainstream, premium brands have registered interest in the system. Executives from the programme stopped short of revealing them, but the brand has worked closely with BMW and Audi in the past. 

A peripheral system to the gesture-control technology is already in place on the new Audi A8 in the form of a driver state monitor, which in the near future will also feature on other OEMs’ models in the premium segment.

These systems, alongside a new type of display that has elements of 3D display work, can monitor the driver’s awareness - or potential blindness - of hazards and issues a warning if there is danger. This can apply if the driver is not looking in the right direction or is distracted by something in the car, be it a passenger, settings on the infotainment screen or other in-car distractions. 

Delphi is also aware of the large amounts of data produced by these detection systems and says the next task is teaching the car how to decipher what data is useful and what to discard. 

Once this is achieved, the data can then, with the driver’s permission, be passed on to insurance companies in exchange for lower premiums for the driver.