CAA at Convergence 2000 in Detroit
12 October 2000
CAA at Convergence 2000 in Detroit
Internet and Multimedia in the Car of the Future
DETROIT, Oct. 12 Hotel reservations by e-mail sent from
the car, receive important information for planning journeys online, cleverly
avoid traffic jams and reach your destination quickly with the aid of
intelligent navigation systems, assistance from the service workshop by online
diagnosis in the event of vehicle problems - all this will be matter of
course in the future. With its CarPC, the CAA AG from Filderstadt, Germany,
will be demonstrating today's potential of the mobile internet inside
tomorrow's car cockpit from the 16th to the 18th of October 2000 at
Convergence 2000 in Detroit. The CarPC multi-media driver information and
communication system can be seen in Detroit in an Audi TT and a BMW Z3.
Where the radio or controls for the air conditioning are currently
fitted in cars, there will, in future, be space for the CarPC. It consists
of a control unit and a display and interlinks the various elements of the
vehicle, communications and navigational electronics. In this way, not only
the controls of what have so far been separate units in a vehicle's equipment
such as the radio, air conditioning controller, seat adjustment, etc. are
integrated, but the CarPC will, moreover, place the entire range of mobile
communication facilities at the driver_s fingertips. Office functions,
e-mail, WAP and Internet applications will then all be part and parcel of the
equipment as the car telephone and navigation system are already today.
The development of the central CarPC software platform with particular
attention to intuitive usability is based on the know-how of CAA AG. The
design and control concept are customized to each vehicle type and at
Convergence, can be seen in an Audi TT and a BMW Z3.
The central control element of the CarPC in the central console replaces a
multitude of buttons, keys and dials, the clear screen design of the display
helps drivers to spot the required information at a glance. Besides
controlling vehicle components such as the air conditioning and seat
adjustment, the facilities for accessing the Internet and sending e-mails are,
for example, also integrated here.
In each case, the design of the CarPC is customized to the model concept
and interior of each particular car. This can be clearly seen by comparing
the BMW Z3 and the Audi TT. The control elements of the Z3 pick up on the
rounded shape of the combinded instrument; the chrome-plated elements appear
both in the menu structure of the screen and in the design of the input
elements. Whereas in the Audi TT, the CarPC has a completely different
design, which has been adapted to this vehicle's sporty interior. The keys of
the control element and the menus are designed in red and black to match the
instruments of the Audi. The display has been integrated in the position of
the two rounded ventilation openings and again picks up on the theme of
rounded shapes.
Customized design, safety and comfort are the key criteria in the
development work of CAA AG.
CAA at Convergence 2000 in Detroit, IL.:
Booth #997 and at Intel's booth #299 at Cobo Center
CAA AG
The specialists at CAA AG integrate innovative vehicle information and
communication concepts into automobiles. At present, CAA AG which is
domiciled in Filderstadt near Stuttgart, employs some 120 personnel.
With the software package CarPC, the company has succeeded in creating a
powerful platform for the development process for complete driver information
and communication systems. CAA AG is a leader in the development of
CarPC solutions. In order to expand its foreign activities, the company
recently established a branch office in Detroit, USA; a branch office in
Japan is being planned. The subsidiaries are a first step towards an
international network of branch offices.
Contact for editorial office, products and services:
CONTACT: CAA AG
Frank Weberheinz
Raiffeisenstrasse 34
70794 Filderstadt (Germany)
Phone: +49-7-11-9-07-70-314
Fax: +49-7-11-9-07-70-199
E-mail: f.weberheinz@caa.de
Internet: http://www.caa.de
Golin-Harris International
Dane Roth
111 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-729-4362
Fax: 312-729-4014
E-mail: droth@golinharris.com
Internet: http://www.golinharris.com