Search Results

The advent of 3D displays offers Human-Machine Interface (HMI) designers and engineers new opportunities to shape the user's experience of information within the vehicle. However, the application of 3D displays to the in-vehicle environment introduces a number of new parameters that must be carefully considered in order to optimise the user experience. In addition, there is potential for 3D displays to increase driver inattention, either through diverting the driver's attention away from the road or by increasing the time taken to assimilate information. Manufacturers must therefore take great care in establishing the ‘do’s and ‘don’t's of 3D interface design for the automotive context, providing a sound basis upon which HMI designers can innovate. This paper describes the approach and findings of a three-part investigation into the use of 3D displays in the instrument cluster of a road car, the overall aim of which was to define the boundaries of the 3D HMI design space.

This paper describes a comparative study aimed at identifying cultural differences in automotive-HMI usability. This was part of a larger research to investigate in depth the problems users experience with vehicle-HMI in emerging-regions and help in the development of HMI design guidelines to include cultural consideration. Culture is recognised as a significant influence on user behaviour, as it correlates with certain preferences and abilities. A system may be fully usable for one group of users and environmental conditions but totally unsuitable for another. Even if a conscientious engineer designs a proper human-machine-interface for use in a given environment, the designer is often unable to foresee effects of a different culture on vehicle's HMI usability. Culture has different patterns of social behaviour and interaction which have led many researchers to develop cultural-models to describe these differences.

Functionality alone is no longer sufficient to sell cars. Interiors are set to become the new battleground where customers will be won and lost. Those manufacturers that are successful will be the ones that manage to embody the desires and emotions of their customers in the vehicle design and execution. The choice of materials and their inherent tactile qualities can be a powerful way of connecting with the customer and enhancing a vehicle’s appeal and brand perception. This document describes how the International Automotive Research Centre (IARC) at The University of Warwick has been working with Jaguar Land Rover, researching current knowledge and techniques relevant to Affective Design, tactility and the automotive NPI process to address these challenges.

With the quality of mainstream automobiles improving considerably over the past decade, and continuing to do so, it is becoming more difficult for the premium automotive manufacturers to differentiate their products from their less expensive competitors. The customers' perception of quality, often referred to within the industry as craftsmanship, is considered an important differentiator for premium brands and a crucial component of competitiveness [1]. Whilst vehicle design is fundamental to this customer-perceived quality, the delivery of the design is also critical and without the manufacturing capability to deliver the craftsmanship targets set, the New Product Introduction (NPI) process is flawed. This research investigates the roles of the vehicle manufacturer and supplier in the delivery of a premium vehicle, the factors that influence component and whole vehicle maturation, and the tools and processes, both current and in development, available to OEM and supplier.

Thin-wings impose a unique combination of demanding requirements on a primary control-surface servoactuator. To address these requirements, a rotary servohinge actuator has been developed by HR Textron Inc. (HR). It uses a large lead-angle, recirculating ballscrew to convert linear motion of a conventional hydraulic actuator to rotary motion. This paper describes the thin-wing problem in detail, explains the rationale for selecting the adopted design, and discusses the actuator design and development program. A summary of servohinge performance and progress of the test program also is provided. The servohinge and electronic controller were delivered to the McDonnell Aircraft Company in support of the WRDC (USAF)-sponsored Advanced Development Program (ADP).