LG, Mercedes-Benz team up for smart cameras for smart cars

LG is really invested in getting inside cars and it will be doing so in more ways than one. Aside from signing up as a member of the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) and its Android Auto thrust, it has now partnered with Mercedes-Benz for something even more involved. The two will be working together to develop intelligent camera systems for smart cars that will not only help relieve drivers of some of the more precision-oriented tasks but even help monitor the state and well-being of these drivers.

Truth be told, LG might be a surprising partner for such an endeavor, at least compared to its rivals that do have some products in the digital imaging space, like digital cameras. That said, LG's vast R&D portfolio already does have some tricks up its sleeves when it comes to Advanced Drive Assistance Systems or ADAS. For one, it has single and stereo cameras that can provide the needed input for systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping, and the like. It also has cameras designed to be set up inside the car to monitor the driver himself, identifying his biometric state and certain factors like awareness, focus, and even drowsiness. LG also has surround view monitoring that can help identify, and avoid, obstacles in cases like automated parking.

That said, in this collaboration, what LG will be sharing with the car maker is mostly its home entertainment and mobile communications technologies, which will definitely be of great use for in-vehicle infotainment systems. What Mercedes-Benz will be bringing to the table is its 6D Vision, its own collection of technologies that offer drivers a complete 360-degree vision of other cars, drivers, pedestrians, and the like. This technology will undoubtedly help LG augment its own ADAS portfolio.

At the moment, the two have not revealed any details of a specific product, whether separately or as a joint product, and there has been no word on how the two plan to integrate those technologies into their own smart car alliances. LG is a member of the Android Auto OAA while Mercedes-Benz is leaning more towards Apple's CarPlay.

SOURCE: LG