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NEWS
DETROIT MOTOR SHOW – Eye-tech Hyundai by 2018
The virtual interface system demonstrated in Hyundai's HCD-14 concept is but a generation away says designerHyundai designers might be a superstitious lot – the HCD-14 concept shown at the Detroit Motor Show this week is actually the Californian design studio’s 13th prototype – but there's no ghost in the prototype's virtual man-machine interface.
It's all new-fangled technology, using camera-based systems; the team at Hyundai has adapted the functionality of eye movement recognition software to operate those functions usually served by hard buttons.
The idea behind the system is that the driver (and passenger) can interact with the car’s HVAC, infotainment, navigation and telephony systems without taking their eyes off the road.
Speaking with the manager of Hyundai Design North America, John Krseski, motoring.com.au learned that the technology is completely operational, and will be with us sooner than we might think.
“The HCD-14 concept closely aligns with what we’re doing in 2014,” said Mr Krseski, echoing the sentiments expressed at the concept’s unveiling. “This is a starting point for us to see how far we can take it. The technology already exists in some safety systems, but [in this application] we’re probably looking at not the next cycle but the one after that.”
Hyundai’s model cycles typically run between three and five years which could place it in production models by as early as 2018. It’s easy to operate, and was demonstrated without a glitch at the Detroit show. Although at the present time, it does need to be specifically calibrated to an individual user.
“When you get into the car the eye tracking technology and gesture based technology are activated by a simple click. It then starts reading your eyes and tracking your movements and notices when you're looking at something. It locks on [to] that [signal] and from there it relies on simple hand movements to scroll through [various functions],” explained Mr Krseski.
As well as improving safety, the system is also a joy for designers who relish the idea of minimising the number of buttons and controls in-line with a vehicle’s aesthetics.
“The technology can read something as fine as your fingertips, so if you’re doing a rotary movement or a wave it can distinguish that and read it. It also allowed us to minimise a lot of the touch points and controls in the car, simplifying the total interior and bringing everything to a central location,” Mr Krseski elaborated.
“The interior is all about that immersive experience, and the idea of [an interface that utilises] eye contact, voice, and gesture recognition plays into that. They are all different ways that we communicate all the time, organically, and we wanted to see what it would take to bring that natural interaction into the car.”
More news and coverage of the 2013 Detroit Motor Show
Full photo gallery of 2013 Detroit Motor Show at motoring.com.au
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Written byMatt Brogan
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