Serge Porcher / RCA Vehicle Design
info-motion: adapting the car cockpit to future needs
This project explores the development of a car cockpit in which user needs and technology advances define a new approach to structuring information. The design of the vehicle dashboard has remained substantially unchanged since mass production of the automobile began, but recent developments have made in-car ‘infotainment’, navigation and traffic guidance more desirable and affordable. Such developments challenge the traditional placement and hierarchy of displayed information.
The project began by charting the evolution of the dashboard and how it currently displays information. Workshops were held with design and technology experts and with two users aged 20 and 64. Both users drove small to mid-size vehicles, a popular segment in the car market and one of the hardest to design affordable technology into. The lead user group was defined as ‘Modern Performers’, characterised as ambitious, into extremes, and at the forefront of technology take-up. Where this group lead, others will follow.
The dashboard stores ‘non-critical’ information - such as music, entertainment, phone, climate or navigation - as options available on a secondary display area located within easy reach of the driver. The selected option is then displayed in full, on part of the primary display area positioned behind the steering wheel and in immediate line-of-sight. This allows the driver to highlight the option they want at any given moment without losing any critical information such as speed or warning lights. This primary area is landscaped into three sections to help manage this information flow. The system has explored full-colour, rear projection technology to enable display customisation and allows portable devices such as MP3 players and mobile phones to connect using Bluetooth™ technology.
