How to efficiently integrate the Android Automotive embedded solution into existing automotive software? Take a peek at the most valuable development contributions rewarded by COVESA.
Modern cars are packed with hardware and software. The challenge for automotive vendors is how to make them all work together reliably. GENIVI Alliance and its member companies are seeking for efficient solutions for Automotive OEMs. We met up with Piotr Krawczyk and Stefan Wysocki, who were both awarded as the Most Valuable Contributors to the Android Automotive development area by The Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance - COVESA (former GENIVI Alliance*). Piotr and Stefan contributed to two Android Automotive Proof of Concepts (PoCs) in the area of audio and vehicle data management.
Piotr, you chose to work on Audio Multi-inputs/outputs Management on Operating System Level. Why did you select this topic?
Every automotive manufacturer who would like to onboard Android Automotive for in-vehicle-infotainment will have to connect audio to their platform. Audio is very time-sensitive, and all integrations need to function smoothly for a good end-user experience.
At first glance, audio might look simple, but it becomes more and more complex when you get into details such as routing, processing and control. Android Automotive is part of the ecosystem, and it is very important to enable reliable and efficient integration with existing solutions such as amplifiers, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Echo Cancellation Noise Reduction (ECNR), and microphone array.
Turning this complexity into a simplified solution is what drives me in my work.
How does this PoC help to solve Android Automotive audio integration challenges?
It proves that Android can be deployed in a completely HW independent way, and it can be plugged into existing platform audio subsystems. This enables a strategy where audio is mixed on two levels:
1. Android Automotive software
2. Automotive platform
This should help system architects design systems that allow Android to seamlessly cooperate with existing solutions, and also be easily upgraded or virtualised. It should also help efficiently splitting the responsibility for handling audio between Android Automotive and the car platform.
We came up with Audio HAL specific feasibility studies and guidelines, as well as proven outcomes on:
Stefan, you led the Proof of Concept track to develop a Vehicle Data Management Solution to unify access to vehicle data from Android Automotive. What benefits does this work bring to OEMs?
All OEMs will greatly benefit from the standardisation of vehicle data access, as it will enable for example decreased maintenance costs of platforms and software.
Together with OEM representatives, we evaluated different options to standardise access to vehicle data from Android Automotive applications and services.
We came up with an idea to reuse Vehicle Signal Specifications made in another Genivi project. Vehicle data access standardisation needs to happen on the top architecture level to cover multiple operating systems and solutions running in cars, not only Android Automotive.
We came up with Vehicle HAL specific feasibility studies and guidelines, as well as proven outcomes on:
With COVESA we actively develop solutions that will help the whole automotive industry to cope with the challenges of Android Automotive integration. Easy integration to other systems allows OEMs and tier-1 vendors more freedom and innovation to come up with distinctive features for end-users.
Our automotive software development team has developed an Android Automotive VHAL Toolkit that enables faster and more flexible integration with hardware platforms.
Read how we deliver Android Automotive projects and launches to elevate in-car experiences.
*) Piotr Krawczyk and Stefan Wysocki were rewarded as the Most Valuable Contributors to the Android Automotive area in the Genivi Alliance All Members Meeting in October 2020.
Stefan has gained vast experience in Android Mobile Platform development and witnessed the transformation from an immature Android to one of the world's most powerful mobile platforms. For the past three years, Stefan has worked with Android Automotive, especially focusing on secure access to Vehicle Data and Diagnostics.
Piotr is an experienced software developer in the area of mobile devices, starting his career with the old QC platform called BREW, then moving on to SymbianOS, and finally Android. For the past three years, Piotr has explored the marriage of Android and the world of automotive. Multiple automotive R&D projects have covered for example voice and audio processing for voice assistant – implementing automotive use cases on the early Android Automotive platform. Piotr is passionate about contributing R&D work around specific Android Automotive requirements and solutions.