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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.