Hackathon at the IAA

This two-day collaborative software development event takes place on September 18/19 and again on September 20/21 in the “C-Square” part of the Continental stand at this year’s IAA in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 5.1, Stand A07/A08).

Each team of innovative thinkers will develop a service-based vehicle app for direct integration in the cloud terminal. The content of the app is not limited to vehicle-related functions – on the contrary, the app can focus on other current trends or incorporate data such as information from smart cities, smartphones, social networks and smart homes. Developers can familiarize themselves beforehand with the open development framework and experiment with it. During the Hackathon, the open Web Application Messaging Protocol (WAMP) will be used, so that the participants can develop using a wide range of programming languages. The finished applications for integration in the cloud terminal will then be written in HTML5. The participants will compete in teams and put their ideas into practice with the help of experts from Continental. As well as other attractive prizes, three of the winners from all the events that Continental will host at the “C-Square” will win a trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. For more information please visit https://www.fiction-to-science.com.

“Our open approach makes the cloud terminal a completely flexible infotainment system that benefits both drivers and automotive manufacturers,” explains Johann Hiebl, head of the Infotainment & Connectivity business unit at Continental. “It allows drivers to obtain new applications quickly and easily, which will make their journey easier, and automotive manufacturers can roll out applications across various models and vehicle classes at little cost.”

The cloud terminal also acts as the driver’s digital co-pilot, analyzing the driver’s habits at different times of the day and week. On this basis, it can automatically set the infotainment program to play, for example, the driver’s favorite radio station on the way to work in the morning. Other applications, such as the navigation system, can be similarly optimized. For example, if the driver goes to the gym every Wednesday afternoon, this route is displayed automatically when the system is started.

Even the standard radio can be optimized in important ways through the addition of extra cloud services and artificial intelligence systems. Continental’s service unites multiple offerings in one crowdsourcing concept designed to make the radio an intelligent system. This means that drivers can view the schedule of any station at any given time and choose exactly the station they’re in the mood for. Stations can also automatically switch to the driver´s favorite artist. The package is rounded off by the system’s ability to provide recommendations for other, specialist radio stations based on the driver’s listening habits.

Further information on the cloud terminal can be found at https://www.continental-automotive.com.