Smart and safe: Active haptic feedback in the car interior
Preh GmbH will present solutions at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt that make it possible to ideally combine smartphone operating habits with the safety requirements of vehicle handling. In hall 5.1 (booth A26), the automotive supplier is presenting its new scalable actuator technology, including haptic feedback from touchscreens and touchpads. Preh is thereby presenting a variety of innovative components and the first serial product to use the technology: the completely redeveloped Multi-Media-Interface (MMI) “all-in-touch” for the new Audi Q7.
Smartphones have not only revolutionised mobile calling, but also our vehicles. In the cockpit, classic switches are being increasingly replaced by alternative touch applications. But selecting vehicle functions on the motorway or in heavy city traffic can’t be compared to handling your smartphone on your sofa at home. And that is the main problem with classic touchscreens: They mostly don’t give any haptic feedback. To select the right function, the driver needs to take a look at the console. Taking your eyes off the road for longer periods can lead to dangerous situations. To minimise the distraction, the control system specialist Preh has developed a scalable actuator technology. It makes it possible for touchscreens to provide active haptic feedback, allowing drivers to get similar feedback as they would when pressing a standard button. In addition to the touchscreen application, Preh will also be presenting multifunctional switches at the IAA Frankfurt that can be designed without gaps, for instance for use on steering wheels.
Furthermore, the Multi-Media-Interface (MMI) “all-in-touch”, which was jointly developed with Audi for the center console of the new Audi Q7 and has just been introduced as a serial product, will also be on show. Its main focus is on a large glass touchpad with a surface that has three-dimensional structures to help one feel the console. The real highlight however is the haptic and acoustic feedback for the console. “In terms of the handling feeling, we have practically turned modern touchscreens into classic switches and made the touch-application a whole lot “smarter”, as the Preh Managing Director and Head of Development Jochen Ehrenberg stated. The key to this technology is Preh’s many years of experience in developing actuators. They convert electrical signals into actions. Two core competencies were especially important in this case: firstly assessing the pressure applied when using the touchscreen and secondly the specific design of electromagnets that simulate a button being pressed by specifically accelerating the touchscreen. On that basis, active haptic feedback and an appropriate sound design can be combined to give – according to the customer’s requirements – all control surfaces in the car interior a similar haptic feel.
Joint motor show stand with Joyson Automotive and QUIN
Other Preh highlights at the IAA 2015 include control units for the battery management of electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as 48 Volt technology that will become increasingly important both for additional convenience functions and in reducing CO2 emissions. Preh GmbH will present itself at a joint motor show stand with its sister companies Joyson Automotive and QUIN.
Joyson Automotive from Ningbo, China will present new products at the IAA in the fields of automotive components, including air outlets, windscreen washing systems and air inlets for engines. The Rutesheim-based automotive interior trim specialist QUIN will present innovative trim design components.
