One of the highlights of CES 2021 has been the unveiling of the ground-breaking new MBUX infotainment system user interface which Mercedes Benz has been teasing for a while. The system has a unique 56-inch hyper screen display which uses OLED technology going from pillar-to-pillar. This is not one screen but a stack of OLED panels that are joined together - there are three seemingly with the interface dumping buttons for touch-based buttons with advanced haptics and a completely digital voice-controlled system enabled as a part of the interface. This is a resource and processor-intensive system which leverages the Nvidia Drive platform something Mercedes and Nvidia alluded to in September.
"The MBUX Hyperscreen reinvents how we interact with the car," said Sajjad Khan, executive vice president at Mercedes-Benz. "It's the nerve centre that connects everyone in the car with the world," Khan further elaborates.
The system is underpinned on an 8-core Nvidia CPU architecture which is completed by an energy GPU system that powers the user interface of the extended screen. This system is also optimised for in-car AI experience and graphical fidelity of the interface.
The EQS is an electric S-Class which is the first Mercedes branded EV in the US
Mercedes has replaced the cockpit of the vehicle with what it called the "zero layer" user interface with the basic functions being parleyed to the screen. This means basic functions like powering the entertainment system, adjusting the temperature or components of the AI system are all brought together using the screen which in turn is powered by the Nvidia silicon.
The large screen uses Nvidia's AI processing hardware to intelligently bring up commonly used features automatically at relevant times. The deep neural networks keep evolving as the process data which is being augmented with information like vehicle position, cabin temperature, and time of day. It also taps into things like entertainment, points of interest with the navigation system being at the centre of the interface.
Mercedes has teased the EQS electric sedan
"The system always knows what you want and need based on emotional intelligence," Khan explained stating that these features aren't just exclusive to the driver but also the front seat passenger.
Mercedes is also leveraging the intelligence it has gathered from 1.8 million vehicles that are already running MBUX. The MBUX is already coming to the new S-Class which for years has held the mantel of the best car in the world. Its electric interpretation the EQS gets a Hyperscreen which is an indicator of how serious Mercedes is about EVs. Regardless of the size and scope of the screen all of these features wouldn't come alive without Nvidia's silicon which is at the heart of the experience.
