BEIJING, April 26, 2026 – ThunderSoft (SZ: 300496), a global provider of AIOS products and technologies, officially launched Kanzi 4—the next-generation Human-Machine Interface (HMI) engine purpose-built for the AIOS era. The announcement was made during the "AquaDrive AIOS & ThunderSoft 2026 Smart Vehicle Product Launch" during Auto China 2026.
As the core graphical interaction foundation for AI-defined vehicles (AIDV), Kanzi 4 marks a historic milestone by bringing AAA gaming-grade rendering to the automotive cockpit. Leveraging a Vulkan-native architecture, GPU full-link parallel computing, and the Prism visual rendering pipeline, Kanzi 4 completely reconstructs the HMI development paradigm, enabling global OEMs to create highly differentiated, immersive, and AI-native experiences.
Redefining the AI Cockpit with AAA Graphics
Developed by Rightware, a ThunderSoft company, Kanzi 4 introduces a comprehensive revolution across four dimensions: graphical architecture, computing power, development efficiency, and collaboration.
Vulkan-Native Full-Stack Architecture: Embracing the Vulkan standard while maintaining backward compatibility with OpenGL and WebGL, Kanzi 4 utilizes a multi-threaded engine to maximize the performance of modern automotive chips. This provides stable, low-latency support for ultra-HD curved screens, AR-HUDs, and dynamic 3D vehicle models.
GPU Full-Link Parallel Computing: By reconstructing the rendering pipeline with GPU compute shaders, Kanzi 4 upgrades its particle system to handle millions of particles. This allows for parallel calculation of lighting, effects, and animations, delivering a level of visual fidelity previously seen only in high-end consumer gaming.
Prism Visual Rendering Pipeline: This no-code, node-based editor allows designers to drag and drop post-processing effects with real-time previews. It bridges the gap between design and engineering, offering a true "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) experience.
New KZM Modular Format: Kanzi 4 adopts a human-readable file format that supports Git-based version control and seamless integration with AI tools. This modularity simplifies team collaboration and component reuse, reducing the overall HMI development cycle by over 50%.
Deep Integration with AquaDrive AIOS
Kanzi 4 serves as the native graphical engine for the AquaDrive AIOS ecosystem. It provides the high-fluidity rendering necessary for AI-generated UIs, enabling seamless "one-shot" scene transitions and dynamic visual effects.
The engine's unified cross-domain rendering standard ensures consistent interaction across the instrument cluster, IVI, HUD, and rear-seat entertainment. This makes it the essential graphical foundation for cockpit-driving fusion in the AIDV era.
"As AI-defined vehicles accelerate, HMI has become the core bridge for human-vehicle interaction and a key tool for OEMs to build unique brand experiences," said Qiang Qian, Co-CEO of Rightware. "With Kanzi 4, we have successfully fused AAA-grade graphics with AIOS. We are providing global automakers with a complete HMI solution, from the underlying engine to top-layer applications."
Global Recognition and Mass Production
The Kanzi engine family already serves over 50 leading automotive brands worldwide. Notably, the AquaDrive AIOS 1.0 HMI platform, powered by the Kanzi 3D engine, was honored with the 2026 iF Design Award.
At the event, ThunderSoft showcased the AquaDrive AIOS 2.1 cockpit-driving fusion "Model Room" powered by Kanzi 4. This demonstration showcased a unified experience across driving, navigation, parking, and AI Agents, featuring real-time digital twins and immersive interactions, setting a new industry benchmark for integrated AI mobility.
