Radioplayer Worldwide has unveiled the “Reference Radio” at the WorldDAB General Assembly in Berlin – a prototype touchscreen radio for dashboards, designed to show how smart ‘hybrid’ technology can transform in-car listening.
It’s the latest in a series of Radioplayer partnership projects, aimed at helping car companies and broadcasters deliver a better user-experience in vehicles of the future.
The ‘hybrid’ prototype is multi-platform, able to play DAB digital radio, FM, and internet radio streams. But unlike most modern car radios, the Reference Radio shows a single list of stations across all those platforms, with the driver simply tapping the station logo to start listening, eliminating the need to select different sources first. Radioplayer says safety and reducing driver distraction were a key factor in the design, with drivers also able to change stations by swiping or using steering wheel buttons.
Radioplayer says in the next phase of development, voice control will be tested, along with podcasts and personalization.
“We’ve distilled years of research, development and testing into this prototype, which will be the catalyst for a long-overdue conversation between broadcasters and car companies. The Radioplayer Reference Radio shows that radio can be simple, smart and sexy in the connected cars of the future,” Michael Hill, managing director of Radioplayer, said in a release.
The Reference Radio is the culmination of years of research and development with industry partners like WorldDAB, Digital Radio UK, RadioDNS, and Audi.
Radioplayer is inviting feedback on the prototype from car companies, equipment manufacturers, and others.
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