Smart Cabin Systems

infotainment · matrix lights · smart glass

The cabin is where buyers judge an EV's software. Lights, glass and seats are now outputs of the same software platform that runs the screens.

Comparison of a legacy cabin and a software-defined cabin. The legacy cabin has one module per feature, each with its own ECU: gauge cluster, radio head unit, HVAC panel, lamp controller, seat module and telematics box. The software-defined cabin replaces them with a cockpit controller running the cluster, infotainment, HUD, voice and cabin monitoring; zonal controllers driving lamps, seats, glass and HVAC; and a cloud and OTA layer for profiles, apps and paid feature unlocks. Software decides what the hardware does after the car is sold. LEGACY CABIN VS SOFTWARE-DEFINED CABIN ONE MODULE PER FEATURE SHARED COMPUTE, ZONAL I/O Gauge clusterown ECU Radio head unitown ECU HVAC panelown ECU Lamp controllerown ECU Seat moduleown ECU Telematics boxown ECU Cockpit controller cluster, IVI, HUD, voice, cabin monitoring Zonal controllers lamps, seats, glass, HVAC Cloud and OTA profiles, apps, paid feature unlocks Same features, fewer boxes: software sets behavior after the sale.
US adaptive driving beam
allowed since 2022
Huawei XPixel headlamp
~1.3M pixels
Smart glass types
SPD, PDLC, EC
Largest auto glass maker
Fuyao
Hub
Supply Chain

Finding

Smart cabin features are becoming software-controlled outputs of shared cabin compute and zonal controllers, which turns lighting, glass and comfort into updatable and sellable features

In a software-defined cabin, the cockpit controller and zonal controllers drive displays, lamps, seats, glazing and climate from one software platform. That lets an OEM change light signatures, glass tint behavior or seat comfort modes by OTA, and sell some of them: Tesla sells connectivity and FSD subscriptions, Mercedes-Benz sells performance and lighting unlocks, and Chinese brands such as NIO, Li Auto and Xiaomi ship cabins built around large displays, voice assistants and rear-seat entertainment as standard.

Lighting changed most. NHTSA allowed adaptive driving beam headlamps in the US in 2022, decades after Europe; matrix LED and pixel headlights now shape the high beam around other road users. Mercedes-Benz Digital Light uses TI DLP micromirror chips, and Huawei's XPixel headlamp in the Aito M9 projects about 1.3 million pixels. Suppliers include Forvia Hella, Valeo, Koito, Stanley, Marelli and ZKW (LG), with Changzhou Xingyu and HASCO Vision leading in China; LEDs come from ams OSRAM, Nichia, Lumileds and Chinese makers such as MLS.

Smart glass cuts solar heat load as well as glare, which matters for range in hot climates. Suspended-particle device (SPD) glass licensed from Research Frontiers is in the Mercedes-Benz Magic Sky Control roof and the Cadillac Celestiq; Gauzy supplies PDLC and SPD films; AGC, Saint-Gobain Sekurit, Fuyao and Xinyi make the laminated glass.

Domains

Smart cabin domains

The domains that define the software-defined cabin, and the suppliers in each.

Smart cabin domains
DomainFunctionSDV shiftSuppliers
InfotainmentNavigation, media, apps, voice, connected servicesHead unit to updatable software platform (Android Automotive, HarmonyOS, in-house OS)Qualcomm, Google, Huawei, Harman, Desay SV, ECARX, Cerence, iFlytek
Adaptive and matrix headlightsGlare-free high beam, curve lighting, projectionsStatic lamps to software-controlled pixel beamsForvia Hella, Valeo, Koito, ZKW, Marelli, Xingyu, HASCO Vision, Huawei
Smart glassTint, privacy, solar heat controlPassive glazing to electrically controlled surfacesResearch Frontiers (SPD licensing), Gauzy, AGC, Saint-Gobain, Fuyao, Xinyi
Interior sensingDriver attention, occupancy, child presenceSeat switches to camera and radar cabin awarenessSeeing Machines, Smart Eye, Cipia, ArcSoft; radar from Infineon, TI, Calterah
Ambient lightingMood, guidance, alertsFixed strips to addressable RGB LEDs on 10BASE-T1S or LINams OSRAM, Melexis, Elmos, Inova Semiconductors
Premium audioMedia, voice clarity, active noise and road-noise cancellationFixed tuning to software-tuned sound fieldsHarman, Bose, Dynaudio, Burmester, Sonavox
Digital key and accessPhone-as-key, profiles, sharingPhysical fobs to UWB and NFC digital keys (CCC standard)NXP, Qualcomm, Infineon; Apple and Google wallets

Lighting

Adaptive and matrix headlights

Headlights are now a software output linked to cameras and navigation.

Adaptive lighting layers
LayerElementsMain challenge
Adaptive front lightingBeam leveling and swivel from speed, steering and map dataCoordination of sensing, control and optics
Matrix and pixel beamDozens to over a million individually controlled segments (LED arrays, DLP, micro-LED)Regional rules (UN R149, FMVSS 108), optics, validation
Lighting electronicsLED drivers, controllers, diagnostics, thermal controlHeat, reliability and fault detection
Projection and signalingRoad projections, communication lights for automated drivingRegulators allow only limited use

Sources

Sources and scope

Scope
Smart Cabin Systems
Sources
NHTSA adaptive driving beam final rule (February 2022); UNECE R149; company disclosures
Updated
October 2026