What will the future car central control screen look like?

Looking at the development trend of mobile phones over the past decade, it is not difficult to see two notable characteristics: one is the disappearance of buttons. When Nokia mobile phones were the best in the world, I was a student and used the classic Nokia N81 flip phone, which had everything from a numeric keypad to navigation keys.

However, with the rise of smartphones, key-operated phones represented by Nokia began to decline, and virtual keys quickly replaced physical keyboards to become the mainstream of the market.

Secondly, the concept of large screens is becoming more and more profound. Full screens with narrower and narrower borders have become the standard configuration of current smartphones. People are embarrassed to go out with mobile phones with "borders big enough to run horses", not to mention the folding flexible screen technology that has recently made people marvel at the black technology - it meets people's demand for large screen experience, and at the same time solves the problem of space occupation caused by large screens.

In the era of large screens and touch screen technology, as mobile phones have evolved from being held in one hand to being held with both hands and then to being freely operated, the car's central control screen has also been following the market trend and has a development history that is similar to but different from that of the mobile phone screen.

Development history of car central control screen

1. The central control of previous cars: mainly buttons

People born in the 1980s and 1990s should all have the impression that, in fact, the original center console had no screen at all. The center console at that time was just the radio and air-conditioning adjuster, and they were all physical buttons. In fact, in the early 20th century, the original center console of foreign cars was also like this, with no screen, mainly physical buttons, and simple and single functions.

2 LCD instrument panel + central control screen appears, but the screen is small

With the development of the times and technology, LCD instruments + central control screens began to appear. At this stage, central control screens and entertainment content began to appear, but the screen size was generally between 6 inches and 8 inches, with fewer application functions, and users were still accustomed to using mobile phones as auxiliary tools.

3 With the development of electric vehicles, large screens become a trend

In modern times, the electric vehicle industry has developed rapidly, and concepts of vehicle-vehicle interaction such as intelligent AI and interpersonal interconnection have also emerged. The demand for central consoles and the complexity of their functions have become more sophisticated, resulting in larger screens.

The most amazing thing about the Tesla Model S, which was launched in 2013, is the 17-inch screen. The ultra-high resolution, smooth operation, and beautiful UI design initially drove many Americans crazy. Just as the Apple phone has overturned the traditional mobile phone industry, Tesla has also overturned the traditional automobile industry.

The 2014 generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class connects two 12.3-inch screens together to form a 23-inch screen, which is 6 inches larger than Tesla's screen.

Byton M-Byte, with its giant 48-inch screen that runs horizontally through the dashboard, once again subverts the interior design of the car.

The rotating large screen of BYD series cars can be used for new functions and can be rotated for control, just like the horizontal and vertical screen scenes of mobile phones. BYD really knows how to play.

Looking at it as a whole, it is not difficult to see that although the car's central control screen is also developing in the direction of getting larger and larger, due to different space and functional requirements, the changes in the central control screen are more diverse compared to mobile phones.

The difference between the layout types of mainstream central control screens

There are many types of central control screen layouts in the current automobile market, which can be roughly divided into four types. They each have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is hard to say which one will become the final standard, but let's first understand the differences between them.

1 digital instrument + vertical central control screen

Taking Tesla Model S as a typical representative, NIO ES8, Xiaopeng G3, BYD Song EV, Tang EV, WM EX5 and others all adopt this layout, and improve and adjust it on this basis, and have functions such as rotating screens.

Layout Disadvantages

If your eyes are too focused on the central control screen and you leave the road, there is a certain degree of danger.

The central control screen displays a mixture of information, with no distinction between navigation, in-vehicle controls, and audio and video entertainment, making operation complicated.

Two digital instruments + two central control screens

Audi A8 is a representative example. The center console is replaced by two LCD screens. Traditional physical keys/buttons and touchpads no longer exist. Every operation will be confirmed by sound and touch. The upper 10.1-inch screen is used to display navigation, vehicle settings and other general information. The lower screen can be used for handwriting input. The best thing is that it can overwrite handwriting and recognize multiple words at a time, which is very convenient.

Layout Disadvantages

The central control screen is located low, and the operator's line of sight is far away from the road during operation, which poses a safety risk. The lower input screen is located forward and low, making it inconvenient for operators to operate.

Three digital instruments + horizontal central control screen

Horizontally parallel layout, digital instrument + central control screen, main operations are concentrated on the central control screen.

Layout Disadvantages

The central control screen is far away from the driver and the touch points are far away, making it inconvenient to operate.

The displayed information is also mixed, with no distinction between navigation, in-vehicle controls, and audio and video entertainment, making operation complicated.

Four digital instruments + horizontal floating screen + physical buttons

The layout represented by Audi's MMI (Multi-Media Interface) system: digital instrument + central control floating screen + physical button operation. After turning on the vehicle's ignition switch, the display screen hidden in the center console automatically rises, the MMI system is turned on, and the system function selection is performed by rotating the control knob.

Layout Disadvantages

It is controlled by a switch button, and the operation is separated from the screen, which is not in line with daily usage habits.

When multiple tasks are displayed alternately, the information that is normally displayed will be interrupted. For example, when a call is received, the navigation information will be interrupted.

The displayed information is mixed, there is no distinction between navigation, in-vehicle controls, and audio and video entertainment, and the operation is complicated.

5. Cancel the digital instrument + central control screen

Geely New Energy Geometry A has also improved on the new layout represented by Tesla Model 3. This layout eliminates the digital instrument and only retains the central control screen, integrating the information together, which is a relatively forward-looking technology design.

Layout Disadvantages

The cancellation of the digital instrument panel makes it difficult for people to adapt to the current situation. In fact, it would be more suitable to be combined with a head-up display.

When multiple tasks are displayed alternately, the information that is normally displayed will be interrupted. For example, when a call is received, the navigation information will be interrupted.

When people's eyes shift to the central control screen and away from the road, there will be certain safety risks.

Design trends of large screens in the future

Based on the current status of mainstream layout types of central control screens, the editor speculates on the possible design trends of central control screens in the future.

Direction 1:

Taking model 3 as the prototype, the head-up display function is added, the basic vehicle information display is integrated into the HUD, the central control screen is partitioned, and the frequently displayed functions are partitioned so that users will not be interrupted during operation. This is the layout adopted by Geely New Energy Geometry A.

Direction 2:

Taking the Audi A8 as the prototype, the display position of the central control screen is improved and moved up, so that the three large screens are combined into one, forming a three-in-one large screen. People's line of sight can take into account the road, and the operation screen is easily accessible, which improves safety and convenience. The appearance is also cooler and more avant-garde.

Beware of the human-computer interaction logic of large-screen design

At present, there is a great diversity in the layout of central control screens on the market, and different layouts and gameplays emerge in an endless stream, but most of them deviate from the original intention of the central control screen design and do not fully consider the safety and security of the driver. The editor calls on all manufacturers to consider a variety of layouts on the basis of improving safety and convenience. When designing large screens, they should consider:

Reasonable layout

No matter what kind of screen is used, we need to consider the rationality of the layout from the perspective of human-computer interaction.

From the perspective of human biology, the maximum horizontal viewing angle of a single eye can reach 156 degrees, and the maximum horizontal viewing angle of both eyes can reach 188 degrees. The angle of the screen layout cannot exceed this angle. Once it exceeds this angle, it will affect safe driving.