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Inside tomorrow’s connected cockpit

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AGC is a leading cover glass supplier for car display modules and decorative applications for flat and curved screens inside of the vehicles. For example the new Volkswagen Touareg which was launched in the Beijing Motor Show in March features AGC cover glass in 3D. We strongly believe that car cockpit design is still in its infancy and will develop drastically in the near future. Driving this change is the trend to total connectivity and the need to consolidate control of an ever-increasing number of electronic vehicle functions.

 

While most new models today feature a small tablet-style infotainment system in the centre of the dashboard, the digital cockpits of tomorrow are likely to feature much larger, curved touchscreens. They will use OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology, which works without a backlight, allowing the display to blend perfectly into the car interior.

 

Samsung recently unveiled a digital cockpit platform featuring three customisable displays, covering all vehicle functions, combining 5G technology and an IoT platform. Meanwhile, single display screens are already getting bigger – from Tesla Model S with its huge 17-inch screen to China’s Byton electric SUV concept car featuring a giant 49-inch screen across the entire width of the dashboard!


Other cockpit trends include the use of AI, for example in Mercedes-Benz’ new voice-controlled infotainment system which also has the ability to “learn” and respond to speech (“I’m cold” …and the heating comes on), new-shaped steering wheels with central displays, and even a morphing dashboard with displays that change position when the driver switches to autonomous mode.