MediaTek Plans to Replicate Smartphone Success in 2-Wheeler Tech

Taiwanese semiconductor maker MediaTek has closely rivalled Qualcomm in the smartphone processor business for a while, and they want to replicate this success in 2-wheeler EV tech. While attending the Kommune EV & AutoTech Innovation Forum, we had a chance to understand their plans to make this a reality from  Mr CK Wang, who is the Vice President - IoT BU in the company. Here are the most exciting plans:

Connected 2-Wheelers

Mr Wang mentioned that as EVs are smarter and more sustainable than their ICE counterparts, Mediatek is developing tech for future EVs. Their focus lies in connecting future 2-wheelers not only to smartphones but also to the internet. This will be key for the various OEMs and Fleet operators as they increasingly want 2-wheelers that can be connected to the internet at all times. They further want to improve users' experience through AI and a connected ecosystem. 

AI Features in 2-Wheelers

One of the most interesting aspects of MediaTek's plans is the AI side of their features. Mr Wang introduced four such features MediaTek is working on. The first is an advanced face lock that can restrict the start of the 2-wheeler to only the owner. They are working on extending their capability to detect whether the driver is drunk. In this case, the 2-wheeler won't start. The second is gesture recognition, which can not only detect gestures but also analyse the riding behaviours of riders. The third feature is helmet detection, which will simply not allow the rider to start the 2-wheeler if they are not wearing a helmet. The fourth is the analytical aspect of AI for various companies that want to observe their drivers. This will help detect objects and traffic situations and avoid any collision chances on the road.

Fleet Management

MediaTek wants to help assist fleet owners by adding multiple features to future 2-wheelers. These are broadly of three types: Driving assistance, navigation and service. For driving assistance, they want to connect the EV to a phone through Bluetooth, enable face unlock for security and increase safety while driving through software intervention. The navigation part broadly covers providing the EV with a map along with the feature of finding the nearest charging points. In the Service aspect, they want to ensure the EV gets OTA updates, predictive maintenance, remote diagnosis is possible, and battery status is updated. 

Multiple Chip Approach

MediaTek is providing customers with multiple options when it comes to the chips being used in 2-wheeler tech. These range from the most affordable ones that provide the basic features all the way to the chips that can support connectivity to the internet to 4G, along with other features. They are also working on 5G solutions for future 2-wheelers, which are not available yet due to the market's price sensitivity. 

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