Morris Garage Hector: Why do we need a smart car?
In this millenium, most of the things in this world have turned smart. Starting with smart phones, cameras, lights, televisions and homes too. Life has undoubtedly become simpler. We don't need to worry about entering a hot home after a long day of work anymore; neither do we have to sweat upon not checking whether the door is locked or not. Internet is a blessing that no one can measure...without any disguise :D
So as life becomes a cakewalk with smart gadgets, why not driving? Driving on the Indian roads is a pain in itself. The crazy traffic, honking, bad roads and the sweltering heat for most parts of the year. To top everything, the apprehension of its safety when not parked at an 'appropriate place'. It's high time we had a smart car which was totally under our control; even from a distance! Thank God, the world's loved automobile brand Morris Garage decided to launch the very first Internet car of India!
2nd April, 2019 is a breakthrough date in the history of automobiles as it saw the grand launch of Morris Garage Hector, at JW Marriot, New Delhi. I was privileged enough to witness this #MGDriveIn first hand. I am sure you too are curious to know everything about this smart car. So here I am, trying to be comprehensive on its excellent features in the simplest words possible.
What makes the MG Hector the Internet Car?
The MG Hector is powered by iSmart Next Gen which is an integrated solution. It comes with embedded connectivity solution, maps and navigation services, pre loaded infotainment content, emergency and concierge services, voice services and in built apps. It also supports Over The Air updates. The control centre is housed in a 10.4'' Unit. It is the brain of the car. It's bigger than most tablets available in the market. The OS is developed by MG India.
It's just not a car. It has Artificial Intelligence.
From where does the MG Hector get connectivity?
In order to get everything going (read all Apps to work), the car needs internet. Now from where would it get connectivity especially on the road?
The MG Hector has an embedded Machine to Machine e-SIM. It's the first car in this segment to do so. It is 5G ready. The platform is Internet Protocol Version 6.
Airtel is the telecom partner for connectivity. Unlimit with Cisco has developed a robust solution on their Jasper platform that stays connected. This solution has been developed by MG in Thailand and China.
What exactly do we get from this connected mobility?
Remote tracking and location
Geo fencing
Automated emergency response
Music and content streaming
Up to Date maps
Real time navigation
Control via mobile App
Over the air updates (most important)
Over the air updates: Just like smartphones and tablets, the MG Hector would update itself automatically periodically so that the car has newer features and upgrades from time to time.
Aladdin and his Genie: Voice Assist:
Well I may sound like a technical moron (I don't mind) but this is the feature that makes me excited the most about smart devices. I feel like Aladdin who just has to rub the magic lamp and voice commands (in this case, Hello MG!)
You no more have to shift your concentration even for a fraction of a second to change the song or open the sunroof. Or in case of Indian roads, slide open the window to blurt out some expletives 😆 Just Kidding!
What all can my Genie do?
Open sun roof
Open window
Climate control
Radio control
Search embedded songs
Navigate to places.
eg Hello MG, take me to the nearest mall which serves great coffee and also allows my dog.
Will it be able to understand my accent?
Yes of course! This Voice assistant has been developed by Nuance. It has been trained for Indian English and accents. It has Natural language understanding which has adaptive features like Voice recognition, Speech signal processing etc. It recognises differences in semantics in speech. It will learn and customize itself to each user over time.
What all Apps have MG partnered with?
Maps and Navigation by TomTom, the global leaders in automotive navigation.
Premium account of Gaana App (ad free music and download capability)
Weather by Accuweather to prepare you for the current weather of your destination.
iSmart App on mobile phones:
This downloadable App on the mobile phone when fired up scans the car and myriads of things can be done:
Fuel level and vehicle range
Lock/Unlock status
Lock/Unlock the vehicle remotely
Remotely switch on the climate control on a hot day
Find my car
Set Geo Fencing
Security Alert'Abnormal tyre pressure nptification
Speed Alert
and lots of other things.
Where would all this data be stored?
The user would find all information at one place via Adobe Experience Cloud. Adobe has worked with Cognizant to give a seamless experience to the customers.
The ERP solutions are being provided by SAP who are the world's leaders in this field.
With my data stored, how safe is everything?
Morris Garage has been working with Microsoft around the world to ensure the greatest possible cyber security. You can be assured of the fact that everything is absolutely safely being guarded.
How would this smart car help me in times of emergency?
MG Hector comes with an instant emergency response system via an E Call feature. eg if the airbags are deployed then E Call is automatically triggered. Pulse Hub calls the head unit and on failure of any response, calls the owner's phone. Again on failure of any response the next call goes to the emergency contact.
There is also an I Call button that enables concierge service via Pulse Hub.
So I hope I have clarified most of your queries as to how this smart MG Hector works. Having said all that, don't you think we all need this smart car in our lives? Driving in India would become a breeze with our concentration being on the steering wheel and road; the rest would be taken care of by MG!
Come summers, Indian roads are going to experience a revolution!
8 comments
Smart futuristic car that I can't wait to get to see in real. Certainly it's going to make my driving experience so much simpler and fun.
ReplyDeleteNow this is amazing! So futuristic, Exactly what we need now.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to know its price and how successful it becomes.
The MG Hector is surely a next generation car. I am really blown away by the iSmart technlology and the high tech use of principles including that of AI. Would love to take it out for a spin.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this car on roads. This is next generation car. I love the features special real time location and emergency one.
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to the launch of MG Hector as it has so many features packed. Looks to be a really cool SUV.
ReplyDeleteSuch a feature loaded car! Its time to switch from boring cars to smart Internet cars 🤩
ReplyDeleteI was sold at the concept when I read the feature about enhanced security during mishaps and remote access. These features are sure to weigh on everyones mind as a huge positive.
ReplyDeletequeste caratteristiche sono ottime *_*
ReplyDelete