Toyota is exploring a system that could use a driver’s gaze and the vehicle’s exterior cameras to capture images of roadside objects without requiring a phone.

Modern vehicles already have cameras covering almost every angle, and Toyota has found a potential new use for them. A recently published U.S. patent application describes a system that could identify where the driver is looking and then use exterior vehicle cameras to capture an image of whatever has caught their attention. The idea would let drivers document roadside sights without reaching for a phone while driving.

The Car Watches Where You Look

Toyota’s patent, “Systems and Methods for Capturing Driver-Relevant Road Scene Information,” describes using an interior camera to monitor the driver’s line of sight. The vehicle could then select one or more exterior cameras and capture images of the relevant scene.

The driver could start the process with a voice command or a button. The patent also describes standing instructions, such as asking the car to photograph classic cars it spots nearby.

Toyota’s patent could use an interior camera to determine where the driver is looking and exterior cameras to capture the scene.

The system could also photograph specific roadside objects, such as billboards. Images could include location information, allowing users to revisit the exact place later.

It Could Work Like Google Lens on Wheels

The technology goes beyond simply taking pictures. Toyota describes a system that could let drivers review the captured images later on a smartphone or another personal device.

The images could also be analyzed to identify objects and provide information such as their source or price. Multiple cameras could even work together to create a three-dimensional view of an object.

Multiple vehicle cameras could capture different angles of an object and potentially create a 3D representation.

Toyota also imagines the system recognizing a driver’s inferred interests. In that scenario, the vehicle could automatically capture images of objects it believes the driver might find interesting.

That could make the feature useful, but it also raises obvious questions about privacy and how much the vehicle should monitor its occupants.

The Patent Goes Beyond Photography

One of the more unusual ideas in the filing involves using information about a user’s health to make suggestions during a trip.

Toyota gives an example in which the system could recommend a walking break and analyze pedestrian activity along the route. It could then suggest places where the user might prefer to walk based on whether they want a busier or quieter environment.

Toyota’s concept could eventually combine vehicle cameras, location data, and other information to provide personalized recommendations.

For Toyota hands-free camera, the technology remains only a patent application, so there is no guarantee it will ever reach a production vehicle. Still, it shows how automakers are looking beyond traditional driver assistance and using the growing number of cameras inside and outside modern vehicles for entirely new tasks.

Audi is expanding its Themes system with Personal Themes, allowing drivers to turn their own photos into custom digital backgrounds for compatible vehicles.

Audi is giving drivers more control over the look of their car’s cabin with an expanded Audi Themes experience. The system lets owners customize compatible infotainment displays and, on equipped vehicles, coordinate the interior lighting with the selected design. The biggest addition is Personal Themes, which allows eligible customers to turn their own photos into digital themes.

Turn Your Photos Into a Car Theme

Personal Themes are created directly through the myAudi app. Owners can use photos of family members, pets, vacations, or even favorite Audi models and turn them into customized backgrounds.

Users can keep up to three Personal Themes at a time. The themes are connected to the customer’s myAudi account and can be used across compatible vehicles.

Audi’s new Personal Themes feature lets drivers create custom infotainment designs using their own photos.

The feature requires an active myAudi account and Audi Themes access. If a user logs out of the account or no longer has access, the Personal Themes are removed from the vehicle.

Audi Has More Than 340 Designs

The customization options go beyond personal photos.

Audi first introduced Themes in the U.S. in December 2023. Since then, its library has grown from fewer than 50 designs to more than 340 curated experiences.

The catalog includes landscapes, travel imagery, abstract artwork, seasonal designs, and special-event themes.

Audi’s Themes catalog includes more than 340 professionally designed experiences.

Audi has also changed how customers access the catalog. Instead of only purchasing individual themes, eligible owners can subscribe to the full library through the myAudi Marketplace. Existing customers who already purchased individual themes can continue using them without an annual subscription.

How Much Does Audi Themes Cost?

Audi Themes is strictly a personalization feature. It does not change vehicle performance, safety systems, driving characteristics, or core infotainment functions.

The company is offering a seven-day trial for $1, plus applicable taxes, on compatible 2023 and newer vehicles. After the trial, access costs $39.99 per year, or about $3.33 per month.

Audi Themes combines digital backgrounds with coordinated interior lighting on compatible vehicles.

For Audi Themes, the latest update pushes in-car personalization closer to the experience consumers already expect from their phones and other digital devices. Drivers can choose a professionally designed look or create something personal, making the vehicle’s digital cabin feel more closely tied to its owner.

Hyundai’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system impressed during a test drive, combining a large touchscreen, physical controls, wireless smartphone integration, and a promising AI assistant.

Hyundai is preparing to roll out a completely new infotainment experience, and an early test drive suggests Pleos Connect could be one of the company’s most intuitive systems yet.

The system was tested in a South Korean-market Hyundai Grandeur and combines a large central display with physical controls and a smartphone-inspired interface.

A Smartphone-Like Interface

Pleos Connect uses Google’s Android Automotive OS architecture, while Hyundai developed the user experience internally.

The main display can show up to three tiles.

Hyundai Pleos Connect uses a large dashboard display with a customizable, smartphone-like interface.

The left section containing essential driving information remains fixed, while the other two tiles can be rearranged using a three-finger gesture.

Speed, gear selection, fuel or battery level, and warning information are displayed prominently, while a contextual utility widget provides additional controls.

Climate controls remain accessible along the bottom of the screen, while swiping upward opens the complete climate-control interface.

Physical Controls Are Still Here

Despite the large touchscreen, Hyundai hasn’t completely abandoned traditional controls.

A separate physical control panel provides access to functions including temperature, volume, tuning, hazard lights, fan speed, and drive modes.

Pleos Connect retains physical switches and knobs for frequently used vehicle functions.

Some controls use touch-sensitive surfaces, however, meaning drivers who prefer traditional buttons may still have some reservations.

The interface also includes light and dark modes that automatically adapt to ambient lighting.

Gleo AI Could Be the Star

One of the most interesting features is Gleo, Hyundai’s AI-powered voice assistant.

The system is designed to understand more complex, conversational requests and execute multiple actions in a single command.

For example, a driver could ask Gleo to activate a heated seat while simultaneously adding a destination to navigation.

Hyundai’s Gleo AI assistant can combine multiple vehicle commands into a single conversational request.

Gleo also displays its responses as text, allowing users to review previous interactions.

There is one major limitation for now: during the test drive, Gleo did not yet support English.

Hyundai says English-language support is coming soon.

An Open Ecosystem

Pleos Connect will also support over-the-air updates and Hyundai’s new App Market.

Developers will be able to create software for the system using vehicle APIs and a development sandbox, although Hyundai will review applications for safety and data-security reasons.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also remain available.

The first U.S.-market Hyundai models expected to receive Pleos Connect are the 2027 Elantra and Tucson, with both expected to debut in the U.S. before the end of the year.

A version of the system is also expected to eventually reach Genesis and potentially Kia vehicles.

Based on the initial experience, Hyundai Pleos Connect appears ready for production, with its biggest remaining question being how quickly features such as Gleo can expand into additional languages and capabilities.