The digital cop car of the future thanks to Kia and Fujitsu

Fujitsu and Kia Australia have collaborated on a pearler of an idea, making one of the more dangerous workplaces safer and more simplified. The technology behind the idea revolves around a prototype digital police car of the future. 

The artificial intelligence-enabled cop car, in this instance a Kia Stinger, has been revealed. Fujitsu has shown it can rid a police car of all the myriad of screens, software, hardware and metres of cabling from highway patrol vehicles. All the information normally shown is instead displayed on Kia’s existing integrated systems and infotainment display. 

The software-based platform basically bundles together a stack of technologies, reducing installation costs while providing for a less cluttered cabin. This is bound to make officers more comfortable when a work, let alone making things safer. 

When you really think about it this idea has so many benefits, such as:

• Elimination of issues associated with airbag deployment and the blocking of vehicle controls and air conditioning vents due to the need for built-in personal computers and screens.
• Greater comfort for officers who are in their car for most of their shift.
• Greater police equipment security and officer safety, since currently officers are often required to operate multiple devices while driving and engaging with potential offenders at high speeds.

Ian Hamer, Principal Architect, Fujitsu Australia, said, “To build each highway patrol police car requires multiple tenders from numerous individual suppliers for each piece of equipment, from the car itself to Mobile Data Terminal (MDT), number plate recognition technology, In-Car-Video (ICV) and radar. Fujitsu’s enhanced vehicle ecosystem integrates individual components, simplifying the installation and removal of vehicle equipment and bringing greater agility and efficiency to the police force.”

Chris Forbes, National Fleet Manager, KIA Motors Australia, said, “KIA already supplies the standard Stinger model to the Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australian and Tasmanian police forces for use as highway patrol vehicles.

“We identified the amount of systems redundancy within the current vehicle fit-out and were excited to work with Fujitsu to push for a higher degree of integration of law enforcement systems within the Stinger. By reducing the amount of physical technology within the car, the vehicle can be modified or serviced by any KIA dealer in Australia, reducing the time previously spent servicing vehicles at specialised facilities.”

Obviously, Kia would want to see as many Stinger’s on the road as possible, but due to the fastback shape space is at a premium as opposed to the more traditional sedans used in years gone by. The Stinger certainly qualifies in terms of performance with the 0-100km/h dash done and dusted in 4.9 seconds. 

Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith said, “The development of this ground-breaking technology and its potential for integration into a wide range of Kia product highlights the outside-the-box thinking that Kia has always embraced,”

“Kia Australia was the first country in the world to supply the Stinger for police work, and now to be a part of this development is both exciting and satisfying.”

There is a great level of detail behind Fujitsu’s plans, it involves biometrics in the gearstick and a whole new world of tech I frankly don’t understand.

But put it this way, Fujitsu and Kia want to develop a police car that doesn’t need to be heavily modified. 

Mike Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, said, “We believe this approach has a much wider application than just use within the police force. Fujitsu is working to develop an enhanced vehicle ecosystem by extending the technology to meet multiple vehicle needs including ambulance, fire and rescue services, security vehicles and taxis.”

Sounds good to me.