Right at the beginning of the CES 2014 week, in the wee small hours of the morning – at least, the Las Vegas morning, anyway – Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance. One of the early partners in the project, Audi, is on the show floor in Las Vegas with a bunch of cool new stuff, including this; the Smart Display.
In simple terms, we’ve got a 10.2-inch Android 4.3 tablet running on a Tegra 4 CPU and carrying a heavily customized user interface. After all, this isn’t just another Android tablet. The Smart Display integrates fully and seamlessly with the on-board entertainment and navigation systems.
Audi has also constructed the Smart Display with the car in mind, too. An Audi representative told us that they tested other tablets such as the iPad and the ASUS Transformer, and in the event of an accident both present a danger to the occupants. That’s right, Audi has crash tested its Android tablet.
It’s an interesting concept, and we’re sure to start seeing a lot more Android automotive technology in the coming year. But, since we’re on the ground at CES, we swung by Audi to see what’s going on first hand. Head on past the break for the video, and as a special treat, a few snaps of the uber-impressive Audi S8 we used for some of the shoot. Because, why not?!
