Chinese manufacturing giant AliBaba is launching a "smart operating system" to be used in cars.
The OS has already been installed in the OS'Car RX5, which the company says is "the first internet-connected car of its kind in mass production".
The system, which operates via the cloud, will allow users to access an "intelligent map", which enables location by sub-metre as well as location tracking without Wi-Fi or GPS.
It can also take commands via voice control, with audio the "primary mode for controlling the system", and has four detachable cameras which allows "360-degree in-car selfies".
The car has what AliBaba calls an "internet ID", essentially meaning the car can recognise the driver through connected smart phones or watches. The ID also memorises favourite greetings, music and frequently visited destinations. Although far from the full capabilities of the fictional Kitt in Knight Rider, the idea of a car 'knowing' its driver has similarities.
The system has been developed in collaboration with the SAIC Motor Corp.
"Humans have made machines more intelligent in the past few decades. What we hope to achieve in the coming decades is to inject machines with human wisdom," said Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma.
"Just as software programs have made the phone smarter today, YunOS will make cars an even more indispensable part of human life in the future society. Today marks the dawn of that new era. We feel proud and privileged to be playing a part in driving that change."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
