The in-car human-machine interface (HMI) is gaining in importance and making ever deeper inroads into the vehicle. No longer confined to displays and pushbuttons, the impact of HMI now extends beyond domain borders. New approaches by Continental.

At a media event in Babenhausen, Germany, 23rd February 2010, Continental presented how the in-car human-machine interface (HMI) is gaining in importance. Because ever since cars first saw the light of day, those behind the wheel have needed information about the vehicles they are driving and the situation all around them.

Today the HMI extends well into the vehicle concept – and is likely to advance even deeper in the future. An example for this is the interaction of driver information and driver assistance. The growing possibilities of the electronic assistance systems and the vehicle’s connectivity with its surroundings – by Internet, for example – have defined new tasks for HMI.

For the leading international automotive supplier Continental it is clear that designing the displays and controls will, in future, only comprise a part of the HMI development process. What is demanded is a holistic understanding of the system that focuses on driver information and driver assistance and keeps in mind that the driving task is by no means always the same ...

More information on the innovations of the in-car human-machine interface (HMI) of Continental can be found in the individual press releases:

Acceptance of Vehicle Innovations Depends on Human-Machine Interface
With Continental the Apps Conquer the Road
Brilliant Instrumentation from Continental
Gently Pulsating Accelerator Better than Warning Lights or Audible Alerts