{"id":25273,"date":"2020-04-20T23:17:34","date_gmt":"2020-04-20T23:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.immersion.com\/?p=25273"},"modified":"2020-10-15T17:37:37","modified_gmt":"2020-10-15T17:37:37","slug":"the-move-from-mobile-to-your-car-touch-in-todays-automotive-infotainment-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immersion.com\/ja\/the-move-from-mobile-to-your-car-touch-in-todays-automotive-infotainment-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"The Move from Mobile to Your Car \u2013 Touch in Today\u2019s Automotive Infotainment Systems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Filip Aleksandrow, Interaction Design Architect<\/em>
Reach him at www.linkedin.com\/in\/faleksandrow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Statista: Number of smartphone users worldwide from 2016 to 2021(in billions)<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today,\nthere are over 3.5 billion smartphone users in the world \u2013 an astounding 45% of\nthe world\u2019s population, according to Statista<\/a>. When Apple\u2019s iPhone was introduced in 2007, it\ndisrupted the mobile handset market with its simple form factor, large\ntouchscreen and user-friendly interaction design, beautifully combined with\nanimations and audio cues. As pleased as smartphone users seem to be, the same\ncannot be said of owners of touchscreens in their vehicles: In 2019, 82% of vehicles sold featured a touchscreen\n\u2013 and yet, only half of the owners were satisfied with their infotainment\nsystems (Consumer Reports<\/a>). What is the source of this frustration in\nautomotive, and how can a better user experience design approach with haptics\nbe used to improve consumer sentiment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mobile phone user interface design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The world adapts to flat screens on their phones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First,\nsome background: The original iPhone iOS interface design was based on a\nskeuomorphic visual design approach, i.e., creating digital equivalents to real-world\nobjects and experiences, such as pushing a button, moving a slider or turning a\ndial on an old-fashioned radio. This design approach contributed to the iPhone\u2019s\nsuccess because it trained users on how to interact with a flat touchscreen\nphone by using a 1:1 translation between the physical world and the digital\nworld. As a result, iPhones are viewed as easy-to-use, intuitive devices with an\nappeal to a broad demographic, including even reticent adopters of new\ntechnology.  In short, Apple used\nskeuomorphic design to bridge the gap between interactions familiar to consumers\nand new technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2015,\nwhen Apple launched a significant redesign of the iPhone, it reinforced this\nconnection between physical and digital with the use of touch.  With the iPhone 6, it launched the Taptic\nengine \u2013 a high quality linear resonant actuator that enabled light taps as\nwell as a variety of other haptic effects designed to mimic the \u201cfeel\u201d of\nphysical objects in a digital interface. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While,\nskeuomorphism is less prevalent in today\u2019s digital interfaces \u2013 since users now\nhave an ingrained understanding of how the smartphone works \u2013 training users by\nreferencing \u201cknown\u201d experiences continues to be a tried and true method of\ndriving user adoption of new technologies. Apple continues to build on its\nhaptic user interactions in the iPhone and the Apple Watch, a device that\nrequires the use of haptics to be functional for users.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No\none is suggesting here that automotive manufacturers simply impose the\nsmartphone UI onto cars (we\u2019ve all seen too many negative study results of\nphone use in the car). Still, there are things we can learn from the mobile\nphone experience to help users transition to new technologies, thus improving the\nrate of adoption and consumer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The translation\nto automotive was not without its challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nthe automotive world, the adoption of touchscreen in the car has been a decades-long\nprocess.  As far back as 1986, Buick Riviera\npioneered the concept of the infotainment system with GCC (Graphic Control\nCenter), a 3\u201dx4\u201d CRT display that allowed the driver to control many settings\nvia touch such as radio, graphic equalizer, fuel level and air-conditioning. It\nwas a groundbreaking approach for its time.  However, MotorWeek questioned the usability and safety\nof such a system, asking, \u201cIs there a built-in danger of looking away from the\nroad while you\u2019re trying to use it?\u201d As a result, Buick dropped GCC in its\nvehicles, according to Popular Mechanic<\/a>s, after owners found it \u201conerous and distracting.\u201d  (Of course, the Buick GCC didn\u2019t have haptics.)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Tesla introduced its electric Model S, it\nreplaced most of the mechanical cluster buttons with its clean dashboard and a\nlarge vertical touchscreen. Viewed by consumers as a cutting-edge automotive\nmanufacturer, Tesla embraced the use of touchscreens in its HMI at the right\ntime. The move to touchscreens provided Tesla with the ability to customize and\nreprogram the car\u2019s HMI using software, thus creating another avenue for the\nmonetization of digital upgrades.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Immersion’s automotive haptic demo<\/a> unit UI<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adopt a user-centered design approach to in-car\nsystems <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today,\nmost new passenger cars come equipped with a touchscreen display for their\ncenter stack console, mainly because touchscreens are a part of an expected and\nfamiliar user experience with smartphones. Users want the same multimodal,\ndynamic, responsive interfaces in their vehicles as they do on their mobile\ndevices \u2013 and they notice when it\u2019s missing. The challenge for automotive\nmakers still stands: How do you satisfy consumers with easy-to-use, innovative\ntechnologies, all the while limiting distraction and maintaining safety? <\/p>\n\n\n\n