LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - January 7, 2010) - 2010 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW (South
Hall 4 -- Booth #35912) -- NVIDIA and Audi announced today that NVIDIA® GPUs power
the navigation and entertainment systems in all 2010 Audi vehicles worldwide.
This marriage of Silicon Valley technology and German engineering introduces
cutting-edge GPUs to the automotive industry, enabling advanced visual capabilities
such as full 3D navigation with advanced driver assistance and safety systems, and a
"dual zone" entertainment system that enables two videos to be shown simultaneously
on different screens.
The navigation and entertainment system in the new Audi 2010 product line is the 3G
MMI, and it uses NVIDIA GPUs to process and generate all visual imagery. The
built-in navigation system features 3D topography of buildings and cities, and
real-time traffic reporting and navigation information given as audible
route-guidance prompts and turn arrows via the color driver information system. This
system can recognize complex scenarios and make anticipatory decisions to assist the
driver, enhancing their ability to drive more safely.
In addition, NVIDIA worked with Audi to develop a complete multimedia engine called
Vibrante that serves as the media backbone of 3G MMI. The Vibrante multimedia engine
allows Audi passengers to watch DVDs; listen to music from an iPod, CD, SD card or
USB memory stick; and enjoy online video content.
As another automotive-industry first, the Vibrante engine supports "dual zone"
entertainment with a single GPU, enabling passengers to simultaneously enjoy two
different movies on two different screens on the backseat monitors.
"Visual computing has become key differentiator among luxury cars, whether it's
delivering the necessary information to the driver or offering state-of-the-art
entertainment options to the passengers," said Johan de Nysschen, president, Audi of
America. "We partnered with NVIDIA because it is clearly the leader in this field."
NVIDIA and Audi also worked with Google to enable Google Earth on future 3G MMI
systems powered by NVIDIA GPUs, beginning in the flagship Audi A8 in 2011. Google
Earth is based on a technology developed by Keyhole, a company NVIDIA invested in
and Google later acquired. The result of this three-way partnership is an industry
first -- a stunning 3D navigation system with detailed terrain models, snappy
performance, 3D landmarks and a highly intuitive visual interface.
The Google-based service enables drivers to plan trips at home and then retrieve the
trip routes from their car as needed. Users can also search for points-of-interest
directly from the 3G MMI. This will be the first time that Google Earth will be
available in any production vehicle.
In addition, the next generation NVIDIA® Tegra™ ultra low-power HD mobile
processors will drive the advanced entertainment and navigation systems in all 2012
Audi vehicles, as well as other Volkswagen AG brands, including Volkswagen, Bentley,
Lamborghini, SEAT and SKODA, in varying levels of functionality. Next-generation
NVIDIA Tegra processors are architected to deliver rich 3D visuals, unmatched
multimedia and a complete web experience on a variety of devices. Tegra's eight
individual processors will help Audi consolidate two completely different
electronics systems with separate boxes into one tiny chip. Tegra will also increase
system performance and lower power consumption by 10x in Audi's entertainment and
navigation systems, for increased fuel efficiency.
"The primary focus of car computing is safety," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and
chief executive officer, NVIDIA. "With the power of Tegra's eight processors, the
car's computing system can have cameras both inside and outside the vehicle
monitoring the driver and the road, providing real-time feedback and guiding you to
your next destination, all at the same time."
NVIDIA technology has been used in the automotive industry for more than a decade.
Since the launch of its Quadro™ line for workstations in 1999, the company has
been the undisputable leader in graphics technology for a variety of applications,
from the design of vehicles, engines and other body components, to online
advertising systems and point-of-sale terminals. In 2006, NVIDIA delivered its
Tesla™ line based on the CUDA™ architecture for high-performance computing
applications such as crash simulation and computational fluid dynamics.
With today's announcement, NVIDIA completes the circle of innovation in automotive
visual computing and brings its GPU technology to premium in-vehicle navigation and
entertainment systems.
About Audi of America
Audi of America Inc. and its 270 dealers offer a full line of German-engineered
luxury vehicles. The Audi line up is one of the freshest in the industry with 23
models, including 12 models launched during model years 2008 and 2009. Audi is among
the most successful brands globally. In selling one million vehicles worldwide in
2008, AUDI AG recorded its 13th consecutive record year for sales and profits. Visit
www.audiusa.com or
www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle
and business issues.
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (
NASDAQ:
NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it
invented the graphics processing unit (GPU) in 1999. Since then, it has consistently
set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics
available on devices ranging from portable media players to notebooks to
workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in
parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible.
Fortune magazine has ranked NVIDIA #1 in innovation in the semiconductor industry
for two years in a row. For more information, see
www.nvidia.com.
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements
as to: the benefits, features, impact, performance and capabilities of NVIDIA GPUs
and the next generation NVIDIA Tegra processor; and NVIDIA's leadership in visual
computing and graphics technology; are forward-looking statements that are subject
to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than
expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
include: development of more efficient or faster technology; design, manufacturing
or software defects; the impact of technological development and competition;
changes in consumer preferences and demands; customer adoption of different
standards or our competitor's products; changes in industry standards and
interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of our products or technologies when
integrated into systems as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the
reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form
10-Q for the fiscal period ended October 25, 2009. Copies of reports filed with the
SEC are posted on our website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only
as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any
obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or
circumstances.
© 2010 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, Tegra,
Tesla, Quadro, and CUDA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA
Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be
trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features,
pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Contact Information: For more information, contact:
Bruce Chan
NVIDIA Corporation
(408) 562-7596
bchan@nvidia.com
