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Automotive Interiors Expo 2018 reveals key industry trends

First day of Automotive Interiors Expo 2018 reveals key industry trends

The first day of Automotive Interiors World Expo 2018 saw record numbers of visitors eager to discover the latest and greatest in materials, technology and innovation in the automotive arena.

The show, which is taking place 5-7 June in Stuttgart, Germany, provided the perfect opportunity to take a look at the industry’s most important trends and topics, including the impact of in-car displays, 3D-printing, how lighting is transforming cabins, and much more!

Displays and the death of the physical switch in the cabin

Today, a large touchscreen sitting prominently on a dash is considered as standard a feature as the steering wheel. With displays capable of controlling everything from entertainment to vital driver assistance and safety functions, how will we see drivers interacting with displays as we move forward? And more importantly, are we witnessing the death of the physical button inside the automotive interior?

“Absolutely, there is no doubt about that,” said Juha Kokkonen, CEO of Canatu (Stand A7175), a developer and manufacturer of 3D formable and flexible transparent conductive films and touch sensors. “Fundamentally, there is the move from physical button switches to touch and voice,” explained Kokkonen.

“I see a lot of OEMs moving in that direction. The Mercedes S-Class, Porsche Panamera, Range Rover Velar, for example. The key question is how to bring an easy, intuitive user experience?”

Koji Hara from Japanese component manufacturer Screen Laminatech (Stand A7475) responded with a resounding “yes” when asked if screens would kill off physical buttons:

“Car interior design has many limits for displays [in terms of their size], but in the near future it will need to be large as it provides so much information. The display is a key material in the future car interior,” he said.

“The size of a car won’t change much, but there will be a lot more information required to be displayed,” Hara continued. “On a small display, the amount of information is limited but a curved display can show more over the same length.

“The next generation of displays might be installed on the roof or door with one use for information, and the second for lighting. You can also use displays to replace lighting. This is very important.”

Lighting is transforming the vehicle interior experience

Among the number of eye-catching booths at this year’s Automotive Interiors Expo, which is the largest yet, there were a number of suppliers showcasing the latest innovations in interior lighting.

“Lighting will perform two roles mainly in two ways: Firstly as a passenger in an autonomous vehicle you need to relax, and lighting can be used to create a specific atmosphere like you would feel at home, or it can be used to correspond to a passenger’s mood,” said Roch de Preneuf, business development director at EFi Lighting (Stand A7506).

“Secondly, when the vehicle needs to warn the driver to take back control, lighting might be used as an alert message. The key thing is we are going to need more and more lighting but without ruining the aesthetics of a vehicle – it can be hidden until lit, such as our Light Guide product.”

Lighting trends among OEMs were also revealed by de Prenuef, who recognized that manufacturers were opting for a lot more “hidden-until-lit” integration into doors, as well as “RGB – to be able to select the right colours, also more and more brightness to be able to shine through materials – so we’re calling for more RGBs with more power.”

So as more lighting is being introduced, what will the future interior look like?

“I think we will see an interior where there is no light, then suddenly some parts will illuminate,” said de Preneuf. “It should be combined with haptic or touch-sensitive surfaces or heating systems. But everything needs to be integrated without increasing the thickness of material.

Turning the car into a cinema

The entertainment offering within automobiles continues to develop at a rapid pace, fueled in part by the possibilities offered by autonomous vehicles. CTAG – Automotive Technology Centre of Gallicia (Stand A7165), a non-profit R&D outfit devoted to supporting the automotive industry, was in attendance at Automotive Interiors Expo to promote a novel system for sound.

“Any part of the car can be a speaker,” said Carlos Bandres, R&D Engineer at CTAG. “In an autonomous car, you might not be facing forward. You might be facing backward or you might be in a novel position so with any part being a speaker you can adjust the sound for the people inside the car.”

The system on display consisted of a mock cockpit with a car seat, two doors and a dash – all with integrated speakers. Of course, speakers inside a car isn’t new, but having a chair that can rumble and shake autonomous passengers of the future as they watch movies is an entirely new concept.

“It’s more like a home cinema system. You have a TV in the front and the seat vibrates to things like explosions in action movies,” explained Bandres.

The idea is to change journeys in the future into entertaining rides, rather than simply transportation.

To avoid unsightly grilles, the system uses transducers to ensure completely uninterrupted surfaces.

The technology is ready to roll out, however Bandres admits that until we see Level 4 or Level 5 autonomy, users won’t be able to take full advantage of the force feedback sound system.

With a further full two days of the show to run, Automotive Interiors Expo is set to reveal many more fascinating insights into the future of automobiles – click here to register for your free fast-track entry code!

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