Future mobility services

CES 2024: Introducing SDV Exhibits and Unveiling Core Hyundai Technologies

8 minute read

At CES 2024, Hyundai Motor Company shared the vision for the evolution of a world with the concept “software-defined everything”. We are unveiling the new E/E architecture for SDV and core SDV (software-defined vehicle) technologies created by 42dot, Hyundai Motor Group's Global Software Center, at our CES booth, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing journey to advancing software-defined vehicle technology.

Outline of the E/E (Electrical and Electronics) architecture of an SDV and a TV screen showing the “car’s view” of the road while the SDV is navigating.

SDV Technologies Presented at CES 2024

1. New E&E Architecture for SDV Demo
With the ever-expanding features integrated into modern mobility, cars today harbor intricate E/E (electrical and electronics) architectures. We recognize this complexity as an opportunity, and it’s this challenge that’s behind the software-defined vehicle (SDV) model we’ve been working on for HMG’s transition into a software company. Our SDV framework hinges on a hardware and software decoupled structure, a solution that simplifies the vehicle’s architecture and empowers engineers to focus on software development. This strategic decoupling grants engineers the flexibility and agility to enhance vehicle system development while ensuring unparalleled user-centric experiences.

To achieve this decoupling in SDVs, we recognized the necessity to develop a universal hardware platform capable of abstracting and efficiently managing the vehicle's computing infrastructure and sensor/actuator configurations. That’s where 42dot comes in; they are leading the development of the new E/E architecture for SDV.

This new technology takes center stage at our CES booth.
The streamlined architecture consists of a centralized HPVC (High-Performance Vehicle Computer) and zone controllers responsible for controlling the vehicle's sensors and actuators. The new E&E architecture for SDV showcases one of its advantages of immediately responding to a malfunction with a fault-tolerant SDV system. When a failure occurs in a zone controller, any other zone controller can take over the role of the failed controller due to the decoupled architecture and fault tolerance of the SDV OS.

2. HPVC and SDV OS

At the crux of the new E/E architecture for SDV, there is the HPVC (high-performance vehicle computer), also known as the brain. At CES, we have unveiled two variations of HPVC – the air-cooled and water-cooled models. These HPVC units are the powerhouse of computation within the SDVs, integrating various functions while assuming the position of primary control. With the HPVC, Hyundai's SDVs can streamline hardware by consolidating multiple roles and features into a single unit, reducing the reliance on numerous hardware controllers or multiple domain controllers.

There are four main functions the HPVC integrates into the vehicle:
•  Autonomous driving stacks covering from Level 2 ADAS to Level 4 automated driving systems, to enhance the user’s safe mobility experience.
•  In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) for communication between the vehicle and the driver/passenger.
•  Data gateway interconnects HPVC and controllers via a high-speed Ethernet backbone network and handles (collecting, exchanging and storing) a large amount of data internally through high bandwidth and throughput communication.
•  Connectivity via RF communication to send and receive data outside the vehicle via LTE (5G), BT/WIFI, etc.

3D image of the HPVC (High-performance Vehicle Computer) – a black piece of hardware – with the IVI, ADAS, RF Communication, Deep Learning Algorithm Processing, and the Gate way labeled.

The SDV OS efficiently manages applications across the vehicle built with the new E/E architecture, and effectively runs applications on physically distributed hardware, ensuring reliability and efficiency. Additionally, through the unified vehicle API, it enables vehicles composed of physically distributed hardware to be virtually managed as a single product, maximizing software flexibility and optimizing resource utilization across the vehicle. 42dot’s SDV OS is powered by Rust, to operate a mission-critical system that ensures safety.

3. Data-Driven Learning Systems

Autonomous driving technology is a key component of SDVs. To build a smart AI system, 42dot is transforming vehicles into learning machines with the goal of not only advancing AI engineering but also bringing AI & autonomous driving technology to the public. 42dot is continuously collecting, curating, and training data to validate AI models and improve camera-based autonomous driving technology. To optimize the process, they have integrated an agile development of two-week sprints of engineering, performing simulation, deploying into R&D fleets, and eventually deploying software into service fleets. 42dot automates the training, optimization, deployment, and integration process to enhance efficiency (CI/CD). The MLOps and DataOps methodology enables 42dot to create a framework for rapid improvements of AI in mobility.

Collage of city street scenes alongside a picture of a futuristic-shaped, black SDV bus driving along a tree-lined street in Korea.

4. Safety-Designed Vehicle

Safety is our utmost priority, hence 42dot is implementing safety in all aspects of SDV hardware and software such as strengthening the cybersecurity of SDVs, redundant vehicle network and enhancing safe driving practices.

42dot is committed to developing a comprehensive, integrated SDV security solution that addresses cybersecurity concerns across multiple facets, encompassing the protection of personal information and the prevention of unauthorized data access.

Moreover, safe driving can be enhanced with AI. The SDV's AI algorithms employ 3D camera vision to perceive its surroundings, anticipate the vehicle's trajectory based on driver input, and alert against potential collisions with obstacles. This data is sent to the cloud and shared with other vehicles.

Image of how the SDV detects the driver yawning. A red triangle and a white exclamation point in it appears around the driver with the words “Drowsy driving detected” next to it.

5. LLM for Advanced Mobility

Large language models (LLM) harness the power to learn intricate language structures and when implemented correctly, they have the potential to change the way we move. Now, most existing vehicle AI assistants provide responses in a single-turn method. However, LLM-based assistants offer seamless multi-turn conversations that mirror human interactions. Empowered with the language structures trained from vast amounts of data, 42dot’s AI assistant, based on its own LLM, can generate proper human-like responses.

GPS screen-view of how the LLM-based AI driving assistance assesses the traffic and communicates with the driver to wait until pedestrians have passed.

42dot’s own AI assistant will be integrated into various in-vehicle infotainment apps and connected services such as AI assistant, AI navigation, autonomous driving, intelligent fleet safety & management - the possibilities are endless. The AI assistant can provide tailored recommendations based on one’s habits and lifestyle. It can also generate necessary human readable/listenable alerts which improves the efficiency of fleet management.

6. Self-Managed Smart City

SDV technologies can extend to fleets and into cities to optimize businesses and cities’ transportation infrastructure. 42dot provides safe, user-centric autonomous technology and mobility algorithms to provide optimized routing based on real-time data. Road data managed via the cloud is shared with all SDV equipped vehicles to provide optimal mobility services.

A view of a control center for self-managed smart cities with a large screen on the wall with two curved rows of desks with monitors facing the main screen.

All mobility information such as vehicle, driver, trip data, and real-time traffic information is digitized and managed via a centralized FMS (fleet management system). Vehicle collisions and accidents are handled with AI-driven accident alerts and reporting systems. The 42dot system automatically notifies relevant parties and creates documentation for operation needs. All driver, vehicle and traffic data including video clips are tamper-resistant, managed and protected with blockchain technology.

These technologies not only enable us to manage fleets but also efficiently manage the movement of cities through “software-defined everything”.

7. Software-Defined Mobility in Motion

Hyundai Motor Group advances SDV and mobility technologies to provide customer-oriented mobility experiences.
HMC’s Shucle, a DRT (demand response transport) shuttle service based on AI dynamic routing, dynamically monitors community operations and traffic flow in real-time, providing the most efficient routes for all the passengers in the shuttle.

42dot’s ‘TAP!’, the official autonomous mobility platform of Seoul, is leading the commercialization of autonomous mobility. The platform accommodates multiple autonomous vehicles from different providers, including 42dot, in seven different service locations. Users can dispatch different routes and autonomous vehicles such as autonomous taxis and shuttles.

Motional’s ‘Robotaxi’, the IONIQ-based level 4 self-driving taxi service to come soon in Las Vegas, is on the cusp of transforming into a fully driverless operation. Robotaxi will leverage cutting-edge technology - such as state-of-the-art 3D detection technology integrating cameras and lidar - that captures and interprets real-time surroundings to provide advanced autonomous driving.

Are you ready to explore the ground-breaking innovations Hyundai unveiled at CES 2024?
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