Commands by voice and gesture can change interior functions

Commands by voice and gesture can change interior functions Future car interiors may feature larger, more colorful displays tailored to the driver along with their vehicle as well as the ability to change functions with the wave of a hand. Hand gestures can augment voice commands: a wave can turn up the temperature, for example. Cadillac designer Jason Diehl said the automaker spent a lot of time traveling with consumers to see how they use their interiors and designed accordingly. It led to the idea of offering a multitude of layouts for the infotainment system ranging from simple to balanced, performance and enhanced designs offering degrees of complexity to navigate to appeal to different consumers, Diehl said. In a new era of interior design, there might not be a need to manually adjust or even touch features such as air vents when touch screens and voice commands can accept commands, said Ford designer Robert Gelardi. The idea is to have the vehicle adapt to the driver, as opposed to having the owner read a manual and adapt to the car, Drescher said. And because millennials think the auto industry has old technology, Ford likes its model of bringing data in through personal devices that connect to the car. Technology can help drivers who have diminished eyesight or hearing, entice millennials who aspire to connect and charge their phones and other devices, and be reconfigured for multiple drivers who participate in ride sharing in congested areas, she said. "We need technologies that make cars an extension of their consumer," Drescher said. Displays can be configured to reflect the profile of the driver. "Whoever combines in-car technology and entertainment and delivers a relevant experience will appeal even to apathetic consumers and can make the next paradigm shift and be the one that others follow," Gelardi said. Commands by voice and gesture can change interior functions Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 18/05/2012