Audi adopts NVIDIA visual computing technology

Audi is using NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) in all 2010 Audi models equipped with the third-generation multimedia interface system.

“Luxury car consumers increasingly expect crisp and intuitive navigations systems,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “That required us to be flexible enough to incorporate rapid technology change and to seek out the best providers of technology solutions.”

Developing a new vehicle has typically taken four to seven years – far longer than the technology sector’s pace of evolution, which can be measured in months. That development gap has posed challenges to bringing the latest progress in the automotive and technology industries together.

To close that gap, Audi sought out makers of the very best technology in Silicon Valley, and Audi engineers allowed for greater technological flexibility so updates in processing power and convenience features, such as navigation, could be seamlessly integrated mid-cycle.

The results of the Audi strategy in visual computing came to market with the launch of the Q5 crossover vehicle in early 2009. The third-generation multimedia interface, or 3G MMI, provided photorealistic depictions of points of interest, 3D graphics and rapid refresh rates. The 3G MMI navigation plus system that will be included with the 2011 Audi A8 flagship luxury sedan will have the capability to display Google Earth mapping for navigation and point of interest search.

“We designed our new Tegra processor to provide a completely new experience, one that’s perfectly suited for the navigation, entertainment and safety demands of the road,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive officer, NVIDIA. New Audi vehicles in 2012-2013 will be powered by Tegra, which will allow 3D visuals, a complete web experience on a variety of devices, and  increased system performance with 10x less power consumption.