Press Releases, 27.09.2018

Preh at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018

Multifunctional steering wheel switches and vehicle networking: new technologies will make trucks even safer and more comfortable in the future

Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale/Hannover. The Preh Group's presence at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 in Hannover showcases the latest developments in HMI and connectivity. Many features familiar from the passenger car sector have been adapted to the specific requirements of commercial vehicles to ensure greater comfort and safety.

A new development by Preh GmbH, in close cooperation with Daimler, now enables a large number of the infotainment functions to be controlled from the steering wheel. In the future, drivers of the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks will be able to call up vehicle information and operate the navigation or audio and telephone functions while keeping both hands on the wheel. This development has been made possible by the integration of two so-called touch control buttons. The new feature is based on a touch technology that responds to horizontal and vertical swiping movements made by the thumb. In future, the driver will be able to control the functions of the head unit display, such as audio and telephone, via the button integrated into the right-hand multi-function switch. The left-hand button can be used to call up all vehicle information on the instrument cluster, as well as the navigation function. One advantage of this integration is the increased level of security. Preh was awarded the Daimler Special Award as early as 2016 for its development of the Touch Control Buttons, which were used for the first time in series production of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Preh Car Connect: Vehicle Networking 2.0 - the Connectivity Box of tomorrow with 5G

Preh Car Connect GmbH is taking another step towards autonomous driving with its consistent and ongoing development of Connectivity Box applications for the commercial vehicle sector. Like a smart passenger, the Connectivity Box warns the driver about congestion and collision risks, observes distance regulations and communicates with construction sites and traffic guidance and traffic light systems and also can adapt its traffic management accordingly. The accurate information on location as determined by reciprocal data transfer can have an immense impact on the traffic infrastructure and driving safety in the future. The developers are currently working on networking the communication platform with the new 5G mobile communications standard and integrating it into the roof antenna and the e-Call electronic emergency call system. "An essential feature of the Connectivity Box is its individual configurability. We can offer our customers the exact networking solutions and applications they need. Our GPS module means that retrofitting existing fleets presents no problem," says Markus Hartmann, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Preh Car Connect. Android users have the additional advantage that the operating system can be integrated into the vehicle display and fully integrated into the vehicle.

Description:
Preh at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 in Hanover: A possible truck cockpit of the future.