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Garmin's K2 'glass cockpit' will change the way you interact with your car, we go hands-on at CES (video)
Infotainment platforms are a dime a dozen these days, but Garmin's K2 "glass cockpit" is definitely one system that you're going to want to take seriously. You'll be interacting with a 10.4-inch capacitive touch screen, which is positioned front and center, while a squat 12-inch digital gauge and information readout console is fixed just behind the steering wheel. The system pulls its realtime data from Garmin's servers through your connected smartphone, or, if vehicle manufacturers opt to include it, you may be able to maintain a constant connection by adding a dedicated modem. Then, you'll have access to realtime traffic information, fuel rates at local gas stations, along with email, text messages and other data feeds, including news and sports scores. As expected, Garmin has taken safety into account -- depending on OEM configurations, you'll likely only be able to operate the center panel while stopped, at which point you can also read and respond to email, send texts, flip through your directory, search for weather, etc. While you're driving, all of those functions shift to a text-to-speech system, which also recognizes commands presented in full sentences. Emails pop up as they're received, with the platform reading messages aloud, if you so choose. You can speak your responses, and a reply will be fired off without any need to direct your attention away from the road. The system worked very well during our hands-on demo today at CES. Unlike the version that Garmin presented in 2012, this iteration is completely operational, rending detailed 3D graphics and popping up with real POIs in response to actual queries. In other words, the K2 we saw would work perfectly well on the road, though Garmin opted to fix the GPS location in Chicago for the purposes of today's demonstration. There's no set date on when we can expect the platform to make its way to vehicles, and pricing will be set by OEMs, but the version we saw today was installed in a Dodge Durango, and it looked mighty fine there. But don't take our word for it -- you can catch the full hands-on demo just past the break.
Garmin K2 in-dash infotainment system brings a hint of glass cockpit to the road
Many pilots would agree that Garmin's aviation products are some of the most desirable solutions in the sky. Multiple flight displays and advanced avionics offer the ultimate glass cockpit experience, even in a single-engine Cessna. Now, the company is hoping to bring some of that functionality and style to ground-based vehicles, with the K2 in-dash infotainment system. We saw some early hints of this impressive rig over at our sister site Autoblog during least year's CES, but Garmin is finally ready to drop the curtain officially, sharing the very first render and plenty of details to boot. At the system's core is a 10-inch touchscreen, with a customizable 12-inch instrument panel positioned just behind the steering wheel. That second display is where you'll find all the essential gauges, but it also provides navigation, vehicle info, along with communications, including text messages and email, and more info on whatever music you're currently playing. K2 is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 processor with the ability to feed content to multiple screens, including some for passengers in the back. There's onboard 3D navigation and plenty of realtime info, including gas prices, traffic and weather forecasts. Of course, the system connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth, providing access to data, media, and the like. There's also a heavy helping of voice control. Now, while all that sounds fairly par for the course, Garmin reps seem to be very excited about K2, and based on the company's track record in the aviation sector, we're more than a little curious ourselves. Fortunately, we're told to expect some hands-on time at the show, and while we haven't seen anything beyond the render above just yet, we should have plenty more to report in the days to come. Until then, feel free to drive past the break and take a gander at the PR. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
