FANCI Consortium Project
Project developed at: Harman International
FANCI was a two-year research project funded with €2.5 million from Horizon 2020, the European Union's Research and Innovation program. The initiative brought together leading companies specializing in eye-gaze tracking, bare-hand gesture interaction, emotion sensing, facial recognition, and embedded DSP systems to explore next-generation automotive interactions.
As project lead for HARMAN International, I contributed to UX and HMI design, system architecture, API design, and future-proofing, while integrating emerging technologies into the project. I presented the first demonstrator at CES 2016, showcasing the system to OEM executives, partners, and journalists, earning positive media coverage for HARMAN and consortium members, including CNET.
Additionally, I co-authored the IEEE paper, "Sensor Fusion Paradigm for Smart Interactions Between Driver and Vehicle" (16597244), which was nominated for Best Industrial Paper at the IEEE Sensors 2016 conference in Orlando, FL.
More about FANCI in a CNET article, Cordis.eu, Edge AI Vision
Company: Harman International
Team: Future Experience Team
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Year: 2014-2017
In this video, I explain the FANCI project, an EU-funded collaboration focused on advancing in-car human-machine interaction. The system leverages sensor fusion—including facial recognition, emotion sensing, eye gaze tracking, and gesture control—to create a more intuitive, human-like interface. Examples include adapting music, lighting, and climate controls to improve the driver's mood and dynamically adjusting display brightness based on where the driver is looking. FANCI aims to enhance safety and personalize the driving experience by understanding and responding to the driver's needs in real time.
