International Forum Shows Off Cars that Sense Danger and Prepare for the Worst
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| The Lexus HPX concept car, unveiled last month in New York, shows where auto interiors could go in the near future. (Photo: Lexus) |
Horsepower and great exterior designs continue to be key elements in selling cars, but increasingly the auto makers are realizing the way to differentiate their vehicles is through the quality of their interiors.
But, as more gadgets and electronic devices pop up in cars -- ranging from multi-disc CD changers, DVD audio/video systems, hands-free cell phone interfaces, navigation systems, collision warning sensors and alarms, e-mail interfaces, to displays that will tell you how much fuel is left in the gas tank to the air pressure in the tires -- the danger is that the driver's space could resemble a cluttered Boeing 747 jumbo jet cockpit with a dizzying array of switches, knobs and screens. Gone are the days when the auto makers only had to worry about whether or not the driver could reach the radio controls.
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| Honda's Dualnote showed an inspirational, driver-centric cockpit design. (Photo: Honda) |
That's why the automotive industry is focused on trying to make the human-machine interfaces in cars easier and more intuitive while decreasing the chances of driver overload and distraction, which was one of the key points of the ITB Group Automotive Cockpit Modules International Forum, held April 24 at the Ritz-Carleton Hotel, in Dearborn, Mich.
"As more and more features are introduced into cars, from 'onboard' devices, such as interfaces with the Internet, and information and entertainment systems, which we call 'infotainment' systems, to 'offboard' systems like car navigations and telematics devices, drivers have more and more things they need to handle and that can lead to sensory overload and distraction," said William Jeffrey, Siemens VDO, marketing manager, Cockpit Systems.
The OEMs (original equipment manufacturers, another term for auto makers in industry speak) are also faced with possible regulatory challenges to make human-machine interfaces easy and safe to use, Jeffrey noted.