Automakers have been exploring methods to improve the performance and features of infotainment systems. Predictive touchscreens with amazing capabilities are the way to go!
Touchscreens are fantastic, aren’t they? Every piece of information is practically at our fingertips, and Touchscreens have completely transformed automotive infotainment systems. The quantity of information a motorist may acquire via touchscreens is mind-boggling! However, new technology is gaining traction — say hello to “no-touch” touchscreens! It may appear to be a strange technology, but the benefits are enormous!
Vehicles, as well as their features and onboard comfort, are always developing. Cars are growing smarter by the day, thanks to ongoing technological advancement. Even traditional products like infotainment systems have gone touchless! Yes, you read that correctly. So there you have it: all you need to know about predictive touchscreens.
The “What” and “How” of Predictive Touchscreens
In some ways, predictive touchscreens are “no-touch” touchscreens. These touchscreens employ artificial intelligence and sensors to forecast the user’s intended target to touch and the many interactive displays or control panels on the dashboard.
Touchscreens have transformed the way we view automobile interiors nowadays. However, like all other breakthroughs, touchscreens have progressed and evolved into predictive touchscreens.
But the most serious problem with touchscreens is that they may be a tremendous distraction when driving. To counteract this scenario, the most recent revolutionary solution is predictive touchscreens, which can exactly guess the icon you are attempting to poke. The predictive touchscreen device, developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Human Machine Interface Research Group and the University of Cambridge, intelligently guesses what the user’s finger is going for before it even makes contact.
Thus, predictive touchscreens execute the work without the requirement for an accurate touch, which goes a long way toward decreasing distractions associated with using a touchscreen in the first place, which is mostly caused by the necessity for drivers to focus on regions where they need to operate.
When the user/driver/passenger advances their hand towards the touchscreen, the intelligent system detects their hand motions via a time of flight (ToF) camera. It maintains track of hand locations relative to the screen.
The ToF camera maps the hand movement in 3D using an infrared light spectrum. The camera may also be used in conjunction with a vision-based system that, like radar, estimates the time it takes for the light emitted by the camera to bounce back off the subject. The ‘time of flight’ camera, combined with machine learning, enabled the Predictive Touch screen.
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To let the user know if the proper decision was made, four approaches are used: highlighting the things, altering the size of the objects, changing the color, and making the items look brighter, or haptics (which involves utilizing ultrasound to generate the “feeling” of the finger contacting the screen). According to research conducted by academics such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the best technique to notify the user is to increase the object’s size and make it shine.
The Benefits of Predictive Touchscreens
There are various reasons for introducing these systems in the first place. Among these benefits are the following:
- Fewer distractions for the driver; because the driver does not physically “touch” the screen, the driver does not need to concentrate on pushing the screen. The technology performs all of the driving for the driver.
- According to expert studies, “lower the workload, effort, and length of executing on-screen operations in automobiles.” Fewer distractions for the driver implies less work.
- Since the pandemic outbreak, there has been much discussion regarding germs on commonly handled surfaces such as the dashboard and the screen displaying information for drivers. No physical contact decreases the risk of infection for either the driver or the passenger.
- According to research, predictive touchscreens can minimize active engagement between the screen and the driver’s fingertips by 50%.
Drawbacks of Predictive Touchscreens
There are various reasons for introducing these systems in the first place. Among these drawbacks are the following:
- A significant amount of work must be spent by the organization in creating and implementing a predictive maintenance program.
- Predictive maintenance makes use of a variety of smart technologies and sensors. While these technologies can provide a wide range of functions, they are typically expensive to adopt at the outset. Furthermore, workers must be able to operate the new machinery (sensors and other monitoring equipment), necessitating the organization’s investment in training or hiring experienced individuals.
The technological future
Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about technology. You’re probably wondering how this method might lessen distraction. According to a research article released by Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Cambridge, data collected from 20 participants in various driving circumstances revealed that “a predictive display can minimize burden, effort, and length of performing on-screen selection activities in automobiles.” Interactions with touchscreens can be decreased by up to 50% when predictive touchscreens are installed. However, the practical benefit of the technology will only be realized once it is installed!
Predictive touchscreens are undoubtedly the future of automobile driving, and with the rate at which advancements are being made, they are on their way to being a must-have feature for vehicles.
