Next-generation cockpit technology, what is ShyTech?

I've been looking at a lot of new technologies in cars recently, especially the new ShyTech interior technology that Continental released at CES 2022 and will launch in 2023.

The ShyTech display built based on this technology is very forward-looking. From the perspective of display technology, it has a high level of appearance, practicality and safety. From the perspective of the overall design concept, this is intended to reverse the "large screen" trend in car interiors (this mainstream design style currently makes the screen size more and more exaggerated, and the oversized screen will affect the coordination of the car interior).

With the support of ShyTech's flexible invisible technology, the screen can be easily integrated with the interior design, awakened by voice or touch commands, and can automatically adjust the brightness and sharpness under any lighting conditions to avoid reflections.

Note: Let’s take a closer look to see if this ShyTech display heralds the beginning of a new era in cockpit displays.

▲Figure 1 Continental's ShyTech new technology

Part 1 The Evolution of Large Screens

Continental presents the technological evolution of the entire cockpit in a very interesting and valuable way.

As screens get bigger and bigger, the core problem is that the screen takes up too much of the interior. One is that it distracts too much attention, and the other is that it makes the car less designed.

Note: The automotive industry has always been balancing design and technology

2005 Instrument panel 3.5 inches Central control 5 inches

2010 Instrument panel 5 inches, central control 7 inches

2014 Instrument panel 12.3 inches, central control 8 inches

2016 Instrument panel 12.3 inches Central control panel 12.3 inches

2018 Instrument panel 12.3 inches Central control 12 inches

2019 Instrument panel 12.3 inches, central control 15 inches

2020 instrument panel 12.3 inches, central control 14 inches, plus co-pilot screen 12 inches

Pillar to Pillar 2021, through-the-lens large screen

▲Figure 2 The evolution of the cockpit

As screens enter the era of dominant interaction, designers are thinking of introducing long dual screens, V-shaped screens, C-shaped screens, L-shaped screens, S-shaped screens and wide Piller to Pillar screens.

▲Figure 3 Various combinations of curved screens will have more design sense in the era of large screens

When Byton debuted, it used a long screen, which may be a popular interior design style in our automotive industry in the future. Are there any other possibilities in this evolution process?

▲Figure 4 Is this the final outcome of the design?

▲Figure 5 shows that design aesthetics and human-computer interaction have become the hallmarks of automotive intelligence

The next generation of display design is designed to be able to switch effectively, and the privacy display can be switched to help reduce driver distraction, and can also interact with multimedia content outside the driver's sight. It is a bit like allowing users to interact with the screen when L3 level autonomous driving is running, and the driver's attention can be returned immediately when it needs to be returned.

▲Figure 6 The core challenge of the next generation display technology is attention

Part 2 What is ShyTech’s technology?

This system is based on a 24*10 LED-driven LCD system that uses two unique backlight units with dedicated lighting configurations for public and private modes, allowing for a variety of viewing options to be combined.

In private mode, a strong directional backlight makes the content visible only from the passenger's perspective.

▲Figure 7 Technology configuration and functional division

This switchable privacy display technology can effectively reduce driver distraction, provide simplicity of operation and enhance safety without compromising advanced features.

▲Figure 8 Status in valid and invalid modes

The control panel consisting of buttons, lights and switches is hidden and integrated with the display in a completely new way. Only the relevant content of all control options is visible.

This interactive system can use voice, gestures, touch and other methods.

▲Figure 9 User interaction mode

summary:

This set of things is still very interesting. Judging from the video, it is indeed quite fun.