Intelligent control via touchscreen is already standard in today's automobiles. Be it temperature, navigation, radio - many functions are no longer controlled mechanically via buttons and switches, but only via a large display.Although for many drivers, this is already part of everyday life, for the emergency services in the ambulance it was still a vision of the future. EDAG, the world's largest independent development service provider in the automotive industry, has implemented a solution for Ford based on EDAG’s proprietary Image Processing Unit (DP6852 IPU HD); this enables image signals, flashing blue lights and radio communications in the ambulance to be transmitted from an external source to the standard display quickly and in real time.
Bringing new HMI designs into an existing vehicle, to make them "experienceable" there requires a lot of effort. Until now, special vehicles such as ambulances were equipped with an additional screen in a complex process. As a result, other controls in the dashboard were often hidden. With the help of the new technology, all necessary features can be transferred to the existing display. Not only the cabin climate and the reversing camera are transmitted. When a call is received by the control centre, the nearest rescue vehicle is automatically activated, the navigation to the scene is transferred from the additionally installed special vehicle computer to the touchscreen, and the emergency services can start their emergency recognition signal, the blue light, with one click.
In addition to the user-friendly operating comfort, the IPU from EDAG saves time-consuming and costly conversion work. At the end of the leasing period, the former ambulance can now be used again for other purposes. Thanks to the many years of experience with EDAG's own IPU, the adaptations necessary for the customer Ford could be implemented in the shortest possible time.
The first two prototypes were unveiled by Ford at The Emergency Services Show in Birmingham this year.