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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.