Last week, we looked at growing evidence that physical controls are better than touchscreens. Industry sometimes refers to whatever is visible and palpable as the first inch, so this week we’ll go an inch deeper on the constellation of questions about tangible contact between driver and controls. An inch below the surface lies the software and hardware, and this week’s in-depth presents perspectives on HMI software and operating systems. What’s the best existing solution; is it the one from Apple or Google, or one of the automakers’ in-house OSs? This is an important IT question and a key user experience differentiator. Beyond that, it is a business model issue—a battle with data as weapons! As cars have become more connected, automakers are eager to leverage the data generated by vehicles and their users as a central revenue stream and profitable core of business plans.
This HMI “second inch”, including operating systems, will be on the agenda of the upcoming DVN Interior Think Tank seminar, set for 28-29 November in Köln. It will include an academic contribution on HMI and mental workload to help the community understand the confluent effects of interior conditions; human factors, and unconscious behaviors.
Stay tuned, and again, save the date, that’s 28-29 November. Not yet a member? Come and join in!
Sincerely yours,
