Mitsubishi Electric and BlackBerry Limited have announced a partnership to integrate BlackBerry’s IVY, an edge-to-cloud vehicle data platform, into Mitsubishi Electric’s new automotive in-cabin system, known as Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect. The collaboration aims to enhance road safety and improve the driving experience by utilizing a range of sensor data for various applications.
The core of the Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect platform consists of a driver monitoring system (DMS) and an occupant monitoring system (OMS). These systems are powered by BlackBerry IVY, which enables the extraction and analysis of data from both internal and external sensors. The platform also employs machine learning to process the collected data at the vehicle’s edge compute node.
The safety features enabled by BlackBerry IVY in the FLEXConnect platform are extensive. They include monitoring driver distraction and concentration levels by detecting signs of drowsiness and estimating cognitive load. The system also monitors interactions with the infotainment system. Additionally, it can collect biometric information to provide insights into short-term and long-term changes in a driver’s physical status, such as health conditions. In certain situations, this could trigger autonomous pullovers and alerts to emergency services.
The platform also has the capability to analyze facial features to create personalized identification profiles. This feature can be used for automated verification processes, such as vehicle access and in-car payments. Furthermore, the system can correlate user preferences with environmental information to suggest optimal parking locations based on various factors like cost, distance from the destination, parking format, and availability.
Mark Rakoski, VP of Advanced Engineering at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, stated that the collaboration with BlackBerry allows them to bring innovations to the market more quickly and ensures the security and privacy of user data. Vito Giallorenzo, SVP General Manager of IVY and Head of Corporate Development at BlackBerry, also emphasized that BlackBerry IVY enables automotive OEMs to turn vehicle signal data into valuable insights in real-time and in a cost-effective manner.