Harman Introduces Updated Ready Care And External Car Microphone At CES

Carscoops

We experienced Harman’s Ready Care technology at the North American International Auto Show last year, and now they’re using CES to announce a handful of interesting developments.

The biggest change is an expanded sensor suite that includes “in-cabin radar sensor solutions.” While that’s a bit vague, the new sensors allow for contactless measurement of vital signs including the driver’s heart rate, breathing rate, and inter-beat levels to determine their “state of well-being.” It builds on the earlier version, which was equipped with a camera that used remote photoplethysmography to detect the driver’s vital signs.

Also: We Tried Out Harman’s Ready Care Technology That Helps You Drive Smarter And Safer

The additional sensors also provide new functionality as the system now has child presence detection. This can remind parents not to forget their kids in the car, which can save lives as 23 children died of vehicular heatstroke in the United States in 2021.

As a brief refresher, Ready Care monitors a driver’s eyes, cognitive load, and vitals to determine their level of focus and attention to the road ahead. It then provides personalized responses to help mitigate dangerous driving behaviors. More interestingly, Harman noted the system is fully road-ready and will see production within the next three months.

Speaking of safety, Harman used CES to unveil a sound and vibration sensor as well as an external microphone for cars. These are designed to allow vehicles to identify emergency vehicle sirens as well as detect glass breakage and vehicle impacts. These are useful additions as they could alert autonomous vehicles about nearby emergency vehicles and enable owners to control their vehicle with their voice.

In other news, Harman unveiled a Ready Vision augmented reality head-up display. It will initially be available in two configurations with 12˚ x 4˚ and 15˚ x 5˚ field of views.