While the vehicles performance in terms for fuel efficiency, safety, response are paramount factors when one buys a car, comfort and convenience play a very important role too. A study indicates 67% of buyers view it as a “very important criteria” when buying a new car. The instrument cluster, infotainment system, steering wheel switches, and other buttons, collectively called the HMI – Human Machine Interface – forms a crucial chuck of this. Let us see how the HMI in an EI car will be.
Today, the automotive industry is going for larger display interfaces. Starting with smaller displays, now 7 to 12 inches infotainment systems have become standard. Pillar to Pillar displays is the next big thing, with some of the OEMs already adopting them. In the coming years, with increasing autonomous levels, this interface can occupy larger space dynamically as the user wants. For example, it would be possible to conduct video conferences or play games and project the screen on to the full windshield of the car.
The quantum of vehicle information to be conveyed to the driver will be more, needing a significant overhaul of the cluster.
The steering wheel will also have a display and touch interface enabling more complex yet intuitive controls.
The HMIs will not be limited by the cluster or the infotainment systems but rather extend to the complete vehicle. The EI car will continuously monitor you, sense your state of mind and respond as a whole system.
For example, the Electronic Power Steering can tighten itself for you to put more effort prompting your concentration. The acceleration response can be reduced, if the EI car finds that the driver is not focussing.
Steering wheel hands-off detection will become a norm where the car increases or decreases the autonomous level automatically based on your hand placement on the wheel.
You can speak to the car as you speak to a fellow human in a language you are comfortable with. The EI Car can respond with all the processing done locally without going online.
Each of the passengers will have a dedicated interface where they can interact independently of others. Hyper local audio technology may evolve that there are non-overlapping audio zones for the occupants.
In summary, the HMI in emotionally intelligent car will be spread across the vehicle without only being limited to the driver. And it will make you feel it as your extension so that you can interact with minimal effort and maximum convenience.
Electrical/electronic architecture, also known as EE architecture, is the intricate system that manages the flow of electrical and electronic signals within a vehicle.