Kia and Fujitsu have partnered to develop a concept police highway patrol vehicle with critical information system integrated into the in-car infotainment system.

Kia and Fujitsu have partnered to develop an in-car infotainment system that allows the removal of surplus bolt-on systems in police-ready vehicles. Four police forces around Australia have already selected the Kia Stinger for highway patrol duties.

So, what is it? If you’ve ever looked inside a highway patrol vehicle it’s chock full of screens and information systems. So, Fujitsu with a number of other technology developers worked with Kia to develop a “software-based platform that links disparate technologies, reducing the cost of installation and de-installation, while providing a cleaner and safer cabin for law enforcement officers and others who work from their car,” Kia said.

The idea is that all the existing equipment and cabling fitted to highway patrol vehicles can be removed with all of the information systems integrated into the on-board infotainment system. “The car’s existing Infotainment screen, which is shared across the Kia range, is programmed to present information and execute emergency response controls,” Kia said.

Ian Hamer, Principal Architect at 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.”

Fujitsu’s solution will remove up to seven existing logins by embedding biometrics into the gearstick, a natural position for the palm when starting a car. Fujitsu’s Palm Secure secures sensitive information, while three single-feature action buttons on the front of the gearstick control emergency lights and sirens, enhancing the safety of officers who are no longer required to take their eyes off the road to operate a complex control pad.

“Fujitsu’s goal was to develop a car that looked like a regular vehicle rather than a highly-modified police car. By integrating systems into the inbuilt systems in the vehicle, we were able to remove excess bracketry inside the cabin,” Ian Hamer said.

“Working closely with emergency warning systems specialist Whelen Engineering, the team designed a new modular configuration of the lightbar that will result in a less invasive installation using one umbilical cord instead of nine separate cables.

“As a result, cameras placed in the lightbar are at the optimum height to record video evidence. This umbilical cord will then be mated to the KIA’s core wiring loom for simplicity of installation.”

Fujitsu will also integrate the radar into the car’s existing head-up display, removing the dash mounted control box and “irritating doppler tone produced when using the radar”.

The next phase of the development, will see artificial intelligence capabilities added giving the vehicle the ability to detect a target car’s colour and manufacturer using on-board cameras, allowing it to “recognise stolen cars in a busy carpark and traffic. The technology will be able to detect if an offender has drawn a weapon and automatically send duress signals”.

Chris Forbes, National Fleet Manager, KIA Motors Australia, said, “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.”