Conference Program




Day 1: Tuesday, December 1

10:00 CET - Smart Surface Technology, Coatings & Innovation

Fake or real? User acceptance study for smart surfaces

Bettina Leuchtenberg
Senior expert HMI, ergonomics and usability
Continental Automotive GmbH
Germany
Andreas Brüninghaus
Principal expert, haptics and appearance
Continental Automotive GmbH
Germany
Smart surface technologies add functionality to premium vehicle interiors. They allow seamless symbol integration into the surface. Invisible in the off state, they appear, for example, if approached by hand. This so-called 'disappearing effect' can be realized with real materials like wood or high-value films that imitate real materials, such as aluminum. To understand how the disappearing effect influences user acceptance, we conducted a user study with drivers of upper-middle-class and upper-class cars. This presentation gives an overview of Continental’s smart surface technologies and explains the method and results of our user acceptance study.

Tangible innovation in smart surfaces for automotive interiors

Francesca Perona
Chief innovation officer
TG0
UK
Smart surfaces will dominate the future of automotive interiors, expanding from dashboards to steering wheels, to seats and beyond. A complete overhaul of sensing technologies manufacturing and integration with new materials, alongside establishing a new paradigm for interactive experience, will be required to enable this revolution. Too often design vision and electronic sensors clash, with the latter constraining the delivery of truly human-centered interiors. TG0 develops end-to-end smart surfacing solutions through its patented thermoplastics-based 3D sensing technology, enabling OEMs to unlock new interaction modes, deliver exceptional user experiences and enable better understanding of driver and passenger behavior while reducing manufacturing costs and footprint.

Omniphobic surfaces: smart interiors for shared and connected vehicles

Dr Eva García-Lecina
Director
Cidetec Surface Engineering
Spain
Autonomous and connected vehicles are driving the transformation of the automotive industry. Shared mobility brings about new challenges in issues of cleanliness, pushing new research on self-cleaning coatings that prevent the generation of static electricity, and clean surfaces that present perfect transparency and hygienic optical appearance insensitive to fingerprints, specifically with the increasing incorporation of touchpanel displays. Cidetec Surface Engineering has developed a disruptive family of coatings that exhibit omniphobic functionality since they repel not only water, oil and organic solvents, but also other matter such as greasy smudges, makeup and natural oils from textiles, plastic, glass surfaces, etc.

Innovative HMI solutions by integrating metal-mesh sensors into plastic surfaces

Jörg Stierand
Head of sales management automotive Europe/head of HMI
Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co KG
Germany
Transform your car surfaces and displays into a smart touchscreen with innovative HMI concepts. With backlighting, touch control and haptic effects, you can set very special actions at the interfaces between man and machine. We’ll work together to devise the right solution for your requirements. As a result, you’ll benefit from innovative concepts with surprising effects, unlimited freedom in design, and top sensor functionality. With Kurz, you can integrate functional elements economically and seamlessly into your production. The presentation will discuss the origin of automotive panels with intuitive operation and ambient lighting for vehicle interiors, plus procedures used: In-Mold Decoration (IMD), Functional Foil Bonding (FFB) and In-Mold Labeling (IML).

11:20 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Bettina Leuchtenberg
Senior expert HMI, ergonomics and usability
Continental Automotive GmbH
Germany
Andreas Brüninghaus
Principal expert, haptics and appearance
Continental Automotive GmbH
Germany
Francesca Perona
Chief innovation officer
TG0
UK
Dr Eva García-Lecina
Director
Cidetec Surface Engineering
Spain
Jörg Stierand
Head of sales management automotive Europe/head of HMI
Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co KG
Germany
Moderator:
Frederik Diederichs, senior researcher, Fraunhofer IAO

14:00 CET - Balancing HMI in Hardware and Software to meet all Use Cases

User requirements of future automotive interiors, HMI and driving experience

Dr Frederik Diederichs
Senior researcher
Fraunhofer IAO
Germany
Future automotive interiors, HMI and the driving experience will be strongly affected by upcoming disruptive changes. The presentation analyzes trends and their impact on human factors in new interior approaches, AI-HMI and steering of highly automated cars. Disruptive changes make it difficult to assess user requirements before market entrance. New user-centered design approaches are presented to meet the customers' sweet spot. Human factors research helps to take the right decisions early in the development cycle.

Carsickness: global incidence, influencing factors and the role of predictability

Dr Eike Schmidt
Researcher
Ford Research and Innovation Center
Germany
As a result of an expected increase in passenger kilometers traveled with higher automation levels, carsickness is gaining more and more attention in the automotive research community. In this talk, an overview of several studies by Ford and its partners will be presented investigating carsickness in detail. Surveys were conducted to get a basic understanding of today’s carsickness incidence, customers’ perception of influencing factors and individual differences. Controlled lab experiments underlined the relevance of motion predictability and the mitigating potential of making motion more predictable. Finally, first on-road trials evaluated an early prototype of a cueing-based carsickness mitigation concept.

Less is more? Does less UI in cars make driving safer or harder?

Paul Schouten
UX designer
TomTom
Netherlands
The amount of screens, features & interfaces in a car is increasing the last few years. Often we see this with an increase of distraction which has a great impact on safety. However, more information can also help people in making the right decisions while driving. And people will want to interact with their digital services when they’re in the car. This presentation explores the use of different screens, features & interfaces, in order to find the right balance between UI & safety.

15:00 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Dr Frederik Diederichs
Senior researcher
Fraunhofer IAO
Germany
Friedrich Niehaus
Project manager
Daimler AG
Germany
Paul Schouten
UX designer
TomTom
Netherlands

10:00 CET - Interior Design and Functionality for Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous interiors for autonomous vehicles

Richard Chung
Executive product manager
Toyota Boshoku
Japan
Currently, all the attention on autonomous vehicles is focused on self-driving; but what about the interior? We at Toyota Boshoku feel that the interior functions and features need to work autonomously for the occupants' comfort and convenience and a superb mobility experience. The MX191 concept for the year 2025 addresses this goal holistically, through its uniquely developed six concierge systems that take care of the occupants in the interior space.

Freedoms and potentials in interior design for vehicles of the future

Cristián Acevedo
Project leader/UX designer
Studiokurbos GmbH
Germany
This presentation will explore the freedoms and potentials in interior design for autonomous vehicles in the future, with the human at the center of design development. We will also discuss a project following a show car development, implementing a vision where everything begins with the user. Starting with the human, we move to the seat, followed by the interior architecture, the user interaction and interface, interior elements and finally the overall package.

Maneuver gestures for partially and highly automated driving

Prof Frank Flemisch
Branch head human systems integration
IAW at RWTH Aachen
Germany
The idea for the Vorreiter/Trailblazer project originated five years ago at an autonomous vehicle conference in Stuttgart; now the final results are presented. Vorreiter developed steering concepts for partly and highly automated cars by using the inspiration of a rider and a horse to provide intuitive steering gestures on the steering wheel or an alternative device, which initiate maneuvers to be executed by the automation, and to be supervised, influenced or interrupted by the driver. RWTH Aachen University, Fraunhofer IAO, University of Stuttgart, Valeo and Hochschule Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin defined the concept, built up prototypes and investigated the impact.

11:00 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Richard Chung
Executive product manager
Toyota Boshoku
Japan
Cristián Acevedo
Project leader/UX designer
Studiokurbos GmbH
Germany
Moderator:
Ronald Meyer, group manager balanced human systems integration, IAW at RWTH Aachen

14:00 CET - Advanced Embedded, Stretchable and Lightweight Electronics

When materials meet electronics: novel frontiers in automotive

Dr Nello Li Pira
Head of physical analysis department
FCA - CRF
Italy
The car of the future will display elegant and ergonomic design with embedded sensors, touch surfaces and biomimetic multi-colored components. Cars will be made more functional and will be based on more intelligent materials: dashboard, central console, knobs, panels, seats, ceiling, armrests, kick plates will be made by novel processes and materials that are more intelligent and customized. All the manufacturing phases necessary for successful integration will be evaluated regarding the materials and processes as well. An example of the application of system integration will be shown, focusing on improved functionalities and complexity.

Enabling lightweight electronic content in cars

Dr Heather Nelson
Director of displays and in-mold electronics
ESI Automotive
UK
The evolving automotive market is driving an increase in the number of electronic parts in vehicles, while simultaneously requiring a reduction in the weight and complexity of vehicle assembly. Technologies such as large displays and in-mold electronics are becoming critical but bring challenges in both design and manufacture. The success of a solution will depend not only on the properties of raw materials, such as films, conductive inks and plating solutions, but also on the process steps, such as printing, forming and molding. The global automotive market is moving quickly, and this presentation will explore some of the solutions that are being proposed.

Integrated future – stretchable printed electronics revolutionize the sensing world

Maria Alm
CEO
Forciot
Finland
Stretchable electronics is a disruptive megatrend that will transform traditional electronics from components-in-a-box into truly invisible electronics that are structurally integrated where needed, for example in car interiors. Stretchable electronics change the technical implementation of automotive interiors with comfort and style, while at the same time enabling advanced end-user experience and safety functions. The use of stretchable electronics is a great opportunity for shared driving and autonomous driving. As a lightweight solution, stretchable electronics is environmentally friendly. Forciot provides complete sensor solutions including sensor electronics, optimized materials and related algorithms, produced via a roll-to-roll manufacturing process.

15:00 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Dr Nello Li Pira
Head of physical analysis department
FCA - CRF
Italy
Dr Heather Nelson
Director of displays and in-mold electronics
ESI Automotive
UK
Maria Alm
CEO
Forciot
Finland
Moderator:
George Kellie, director, Kellie Solutions Ltd/EDANA

Day 2: Wednesday, December 2

10:00 CET - Future Automotive Interiors Technologies

3D touch switches for in-vehicle applications

Mari Makkonen
Marketing director
Canatu Oy
Finland
Autonomous driving triggers the need to reinvent the HMIs. Seats and door trims will become more important as they are always closest to the driver. With Canatu 3D touch technology, any surface can be smart and functional. Together with TS Tech’s decorative door trims, the solution offers an intuitive user experience and beautiful design. In this session, we will talk about smart 3D touch surfaces and showcase our latest demonstrator jointly developed with TS Tech; a decorative door trim with 3D touch switches to control the electric power seat adjustments.

Embroidered e-textile for automotive interiors

Melanie Hoerr
Manager technical embroidery applications
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems
Germany
Embroidery has been a well-established textile decoration technology for decades. Nowadays, it is used to integrate functionalities such as lighting, sensing and operating into textiles. By using conductive threads during the embroidery process, electrical circuits can be integrated into the textile. The embroidery machine creates the electrical connections between electronic parts such as LEDs, PCBs, and microchips and textile sensors or electrodes. Functionality that can be achieved includes the integration of textile sensors (touch, proximity), LEDs for ambient lighting and driver monitoring systems such as HR measurement integrated into the steering wheel.

Seamless mobility – materials for multifunctional car interiors of the future

Jan Helmig
Technical marketing mobility lighting
Covestro
Germany
Florian Dorin
Industrial marketing composites automotive
Covestro
Germany
New electric drive systems, increased connectivity and the trend toward ridesharing all mean that the car of the future will be a mobile, multifunctional living and working space. The look and feel of this lounge-like interior will give car manufacturers new ways to differentiate their brands. Surface colors, optics, haptics and ambient lighting effects will all become part of the overall interior design concept. Wide, seamless surfaces will integrate a range of functions, including touch controls and infotainment displays. In parallel, lounging and working will call for space-saving components like slim seatbacks and low-profile, high-load tables. Robust materials that can unite multifunctionality with comfort, style, efficiency and lighter weight will be essential.

Digital die-cutting for leather: a revolution

Emanuel Martonca
Sales manager
Thagora
Romania
Leather cutting today means increasing challenges for managers in manufacturing companies. Leather die-cutting in automotive is currently hindered by the dependence on skilled, experienced operators, the difficulty of enforcing quality rules in leather inspection and the increasing complexity of nesting demands. Thagora Automotive proposes a revolution in this process, with a completely digital, Industry 4.0-ready solution for car interiors manufacturing. It combines an advanced software system with an automatic, multi-hide nesting solution, Thagora Leather Scanning Machine and higher productivity with AR assistance for die-cutting and collecting on presses.

11:20 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Stephen Krantz
Vice president
TS Tech
USA
Melanie Hoerr
Manager technical embroidery applications
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems
Germany
Jan Helmig
Technical marketing mobility lighting
Covestro
Germany
Florian Dorin
Industrial marketing composites automotive
Covestro
Germany
Emanuel Martonca
Sales manager
Thagora
Romania
Moderator:
George Kellie, director, Kellie Solutions Ltd/EDANA

14:00 CET - Advanced Textiles, Plastics and Composite Materials

Seamless textile sensing solutions for car seats

João Manuel Carvalho Gomes
Chief operations officer
CeNTI
Portugal
A considerable number of car accidents can be attributed to driver drowsiness. Several studies have concluded that drowsiness while driving contributes to traffic-related morbidity and mortality, and therefore it is considered a public health issue. An effective strategy to prevent drowsiness-related car accidents is to monitor drivers' drowsing state and alert them. The development of a robust, cost-effective, seamless sensing solution for automobile seats is presented here. This innovative solution combines heart-rate and respiratory monitoring through bio-radars with comfort monitoring (humidity, temperature and pressure sensing) to gain a more accurate perception of the driver's state.

PP foams for visible ultra-lightweight automotive interior applications

Georg Grestenberger
Application manager automotive interiors
Borealis Polyolefine GmbH
Austria
Plastics, particularly polypropylene (PP), are a key enabler for lightweight design in cars. The development of alternative car concepts is increasing the need for new, lightweight solutions as weight reduction is directly proportional to range extension. The increasing use of polymeric foams and plastic foam structures is a logical next step. At Borealis Polypropylene, compounds were developed that can be processed into foamed automotive parts for structural but also visible applications, offering excellent surface appearance and mechanical properties, and unlocking additional weight-saving potential for future mobility solutions.

3D printing: availability, independence and innovation

Joachim Kasemann
CEO
Mark3D GmbH
Germany
New technology: 3D printed continuous fibers, enabling composite parts robust enough to replace machined metal. ADAM: the new way of 3D printing metal parts. By printing metal powder bound in a plastic matrix, we've eliminated the safety risks associated with traditional metal 3D printing while enabling new features like closed-cell infill for reduced part weight and cost.

15:00 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

João Manuel Carvalho Gomes
Chief operations officer
CeNTI
Portugal
Georg Grestenberger
Application manager automotive interiors
Borealis Polyolefine GmbH
Austria
Joachim Kasemann
CEO
Mark3D GmbH
Germany
Moderator:
António Braz Costa, general manager, CITEVE

10:00 CET - How Future Mobility Will Shape Interior Design

Designing for emotional experiences

Efrat Friedland
Founder
Materialscout
Germany
We have all seen futuristic interior designs of mobility products. But we have no way of knowing if these designs will indeed be the final product we’ll see. What we do know is who will be using these products. Understanding the future users and consumers will help us bring values to the forefront of our products and brands, to create more meaningful and enjoyable experiences. This lecture will help you understand how to use materials and technologies to create an emotional bond with your product.

The effects of emerging technologies on vehicle design

Carsten Astheimer
CEO
Astheimer Design
UK
Electrification, connectivity, shared mobility and autonomy will all play their part in influencing and affecting the vehicles of the future. They will affect the architecture, experience, functionality and meaning that the future vehicles will have on our society. As society’s needs and desires change, we must use the relevant technologies to not only satisfy those needs and desires but also inspire the next generation in the sustainable mobility solutions of the future.

Mobility needs of older and disabled people

Katja A Rösler
Professor of automotive engineering
University of Applied Science HRW
Germany
Demographic change makes it necessary to pay special attention to the needs of older people in road traffic. On the one hand, a group of the young at heart is emerging. On the other hand, a group is forming who are seriously compromised by restrictions. The second group also includes physically handicapped younger people. The presentation will discuss the needs of this growing group of people, and the steps that are being taken to address them in the area of vehicle interiors. In addition to comfort, this also includes aspects of ergonomics, seat design and the design of displays and controls.

11:00 CET - Live Q&A and Discussion

Efrat Friedland
Founder
Materialscout
Germany
Carsten Astheimer
CEO
Astheimer Design
UK
Katja A Rösler
Professor of automotive engineering
University of Applied Science HRW
Germany
Moderator:
Frederik Diederichs, senior researcher, Fraunhofer IAO

14:00 CET - Efficiency and Sustainability in Chemicals, Plastics and Nonwovens

Automotive skins designed for lighter, more silent and safer cars

Silvia Hanzelova
Automotive and technical skins category manager
Walki Belcoat NV
Belgium
The automotive industry is under enormous pressure in the areas of cost and process optimization, and the requirements concerning material performance are constantly increasing. Choosing the right material for your car parts can make a big difference. Walki’s numerous types of automotive skins are appreciated for their ability to solve technical challenges, and can bring new opportunities to create car parts previously made using different technologies. Some of the products that we will present are lightweight, thermoformable skins with a high stiffness that can also act as acoustic insulation or a layer that will adhere to even the most stubborn surfaces.

Sustainability solutions for automotive interiors in a changing world

Dr George Kellie
Director
Kellie Solutions Ltd/EDANA
UK
Internationally there is strong and very evident rapid growth and drive for new-generation materials offering genuinely sustainable solutions. The automotive industry is clearly faced with this challenge, at the same time as dramatic changes are taking place in powertrains, and with very demanding emissions legislation. There are some exciting solutions available that can meet many of these challenges simultaneously. Dr Kellie will focus on developments in plastics and non-woven materials in this very timely presentation.

Responsible chemistry as a path to renewable carbon

Michael Costello
Group director environment, social and governance
Stahl
Netherlands
In recent years, voluntary initiatives have been driving the chemical industry toward a more sustainable future. In this presentation, Stahl will present how these initiatives are aligned to its responsible chemistry approach, which is focused on going beyond chemical compliance regulation with regard to the elimination of unwanted substances, and on the replacement of fossil fuels in its raw materials with renewable carbon alternatives.

Panel Discussion

Silvia Hanzelova
Automotive and technical skins category manager
Walki Belcoat NV
Belgium
Dr George Kellie
Director
Kellie Solutions Ltd/EDANA
UK
Alexander Schieke
Global market manager mobility
Stahl Holdings BV (Netherlands)
Netherlands
Please Note: This conference program may be subject to change