Gentex CES 2024 Highlights:
- Soft launch of PLACE, a new residential, smart-home sensing product
- Debut of Gentex partner ADASKY's thermal imaging solutions with forward- and rearward-facing applications
- Driver and in-cabin monitoring systems integrated into a Gentex Full Display Mirror (digital rearview mirror)
- Full Display Mirrors with enhanced nighttime performance
- Dimmable, glare-eliminating sun visors with switchable reflective surface
- Soft launch of eSight Go, a new wearable assistive technology for visual impairments
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gentex Corporation (https://www.gentex.com/) (NASDAQ: GNTX (http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/gntx)) will once again showcase its latest developments in technology and innovation at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Over the past year, Gentex has initiated new R&D activities, established new collaboration agreements, expanded through strategic acquisition, and diversified its product lines. All of this and more will be demonstrated at the Gentex CES booth through interactive displays, feature-integrated vehicles, and product simulators that enable customers to experience the technology in a realistic setting.
Gentex is a long-time supplier of electro-optical products for the global automotive, aerospace, and fire protection industries. It's best known for supplying nearly every major automaker with connected-car technologies and advanced electronic features that optimize driver vision and enhance driver safety.
"2024 marks not only a golden milestone of 50 years in business, but also a year of groundbreaking achievements and unparalleled innovation," said Steve Downing, Gentex chief executive officer. "At this year's CES, we're showcasing new advancements in nearly every product category and providing an advanced look at PLACE, our first direct-to-consumer, smart-home sensing product."
PLACE Smart Smoke/CO Detection
Gentex has over 50 years of experience in the commercial fire protection industry. Now the company is preparing to introduce a line of smart home devices called PLACE, an innovative suite of smart home safety products with room-specific functionality. PLACE will be a holistic solution that blends smart home safety, comfort, and security features into one sophisticated system, all controlled from a single, user-friendly app.
"PLACE is Gentex's stride toward creating a safer home environment, delivering trusted, industry-leading sensing technology," said Gentex Chief Technology Officer Neil Boehm. "Every household can expect the highest standard of comfort, security, and convenience that Gentex has delivered to our commercial fire protection customers for the past five decades, but with the connected functionality that consumers expect in their devices today."
The PLACE portfolio of smart-home solutions is being designed to address the nuanced safety requirements of various home spaces. The base Any Space unit is perfect for any location in the home, providing smart smoke and carbon monoxide detection and Wi-Fi connectivity for space-specific alerts. The system's versatility is further demonstrated through specialized units for the kitchen, nursery, and garage, each equipped with additional safeguards like gas and VOC detection, room-monitoring cameras, intercoms, and temperature and humidity sensing.
The PLACE lineup will be on display in an interactive exhibit at the Gentex CES booth. The company is currently working on a product launch strategy with various retailers, with the product set to debut later this year.
ADASKY Thermal Imaging
Also at CES this year, Gentex will showcase its latest strategic partnership with ADASKY, which is aimed at advancing the company's unique thermal imaging technology for the automotive industry. Gentex announced a collaboration agreement with ADASKY in May 2023.
"After thorough investigation and ongoing discussions with ADASKY, we recognized the opportunity to enhance and expedite the development and market introduction of ADASKY's thermal imaging technology. Our strategy of continually expanding our sensing capabilities is furthered by the incorporation of ADASKY's innovative tech into our product portfolio," said Boehm.
ADASKY's proprietary LWIR (Long Wave Infrared) sensors are becoming well-known in the industry for their market-leading performance based on their superior size-to-performance ratio, solid state technology, high reliability, and "shutterless" constant-operation design. As advanced sensing systems create the path for passenger and pedestrian safety, thermal sensing will fill the existing gaps in that technology so that ADAS and vision-based systems can operate more reliably in low light and in all-weather situations.
Gentex's booth will debut not only forward-facing applications of ADASKY's technology, but also, for the first time ever, the integration of thermal imaging in a Gentex Full Display Mirror (FDM), the industry's leading digital rearview mirror. The inclusion of a rearward-facing thermal camera in an FDM system could dramatically improve the driver's ability to monitor the rearward scene during nighttime driving and help identify potential hazards while reversing.
Forward- and rearward-facing applications of ADASKY's thermal technology will be on exhibit in an interactive kiosk and demonstrator vehicle at the Gentex booth. Test drives will also be available.
Driver and In-Cabin Monitoring
European Union General Safety Regulations will soon require that cars sold in Europe be equipped with a driver monitoring system (DMS). Subsequently, Gentex has ongoing DMS development programs with multiple automakers.
On display in a vehicle demonstrator at CES will be Gentex's mirror-integrated DMS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSiaz6E-Zn4&t=96s), which tracks driver head pose, eye gaze, and other metrics to determine distraction, drowsiness, sudden sickness, and return of manual control in semi-autonomous vehicles. The system can expand to include 2D and structured-light-based 3D cabin monitoring for detecting passengers, behavior, objects, and even presence of life.
Integrating DMS in the rearview mirror provides the camera with an optimal view of the driver and vehicle occupants, while affording automakers a high-performance, cross-platform DMS solution. New this year at CES is a Gentex driver monitoring solution integrated into a Full Display Mirror, the industry's leading digital rearview mirror.
Digital Vision
Gentex's Full Display Mirror (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmrZHrH9RV4) (FDM) combines a custom camera and mirror-integrated video display for enhanced rearward visibility. Launched just seven years ago, the FDM is currently offered on over 25 different brands and 100 different vehicles around the world. The versatile FDM platform offers add-on features like a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tpfYFeCIKc&feature=youtu.be), scalable trailer cam system (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ARHubr9_ZE), touch screen display, and integrated side blind zone alerts. New for CES 2024 will be FDMs with next-gen cameras and advanced digital signal processing for improved nighttime performance.
Dimmable Glass
Gentex is a global leader in dimmable device technology -- shipping over 45 million units annually -- and specializes in anti-glare interior and exterior rearview mirrors for the automotive industry, as well as electronically dimmable windows (EDWs) for the aerospace sector. At CES 2024, the company will showcase advances in its latest innovations, including large-area dimmable devices such as sunroofs with on-demand darkening capabilities, and innovative sun visors featuring clear, dimmable panels that automatically adjust to prevent sunlight glare. New for CES 2024 will be dimmable visors that incorporate a switchable reflective surface, allowing them to not only eliminate sunlight glare, but also function as vanity mirrors.
Aerospace
Gentex electronically dimmable windows (https://youtu.be/-Z5pTZiAYsw) (EDWs) will once again be on display at CES this year in a new aircraft mockup. Gentex is the world's leading supplier of EDWs for the aerospace industry. An interactive fuselage will feature fully functioning dimmable windows and cabin partitions; passenger smart-lighting (https://youtu.be/PQH2tEcH_Zs) that automatically optimizes illumination for various in-flight activities like reading, dining, or computer work; biometric systems (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8K-8MXcnvY) for personalizing the in-flight experience; and in-cabin particulate and chemical sensors (https://youtu.be/zkLQPlxdxnI) for monitoring cabin air quality.
eSight
Recent Gentex technology acquisitions will also be showcased at CES 2024, including eSight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGqbdbFpDEA), a developer of wearable assistive technologies that allow people living with visual impairments to stay on the go while performing the tasks of daily living. eSight products utilize a high-definition camera, proprietary algorithms, and powerful processing to capture and project real-time video onto two high-resolution, near-to-eye screens for full binocular vision.
The newest iteration of eSight products, eSight Go, is targeted to launch later this year. The technology will be on display at an eSight booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center's North Hall, booth #8863 and the Gentex booth.
CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technology. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, it has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for over 50 years. CES 2024 runs January 9-12 in Las Vegas. Gentex technologies will be on display in the Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall, booth #6440.
Founded in 1974, Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX (http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/gntx)) is a supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics to the automotive industry, dimmable aircraft windows for aviation markets, and fire protection products to the fire protection market. Check out some of the Company's latest technology at www.gentex.com (http://www.gentex.com).
Gentex Media Contact
Craig Piersma
(616) 772-1590 x4316
craig.piersma@gentex.com (mailto:craig.piersma@gentex.com)
Gentex Investor Relations Contact
Josh O'Berski
(616) 772-1800 x5814
josh.oberski@gentex.com (mailto:josh.oberski@gentex.com)
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