Faurecia Gives Dashboard Controls a New Look at CES 2017

Dashboard controls take up a lot of space. Faurecia, one of the key players in the field of automotive interiors showcased a new look for dashboard controls at the CES Show held in January 2017. The company has come up with the idea of customizable controls that can be easily integrated into the dashboard materials and decoration. This can possibly spell the end of display screens. If the control knobs can be made a part of something else that is already an integral part of the car, like its door panels, there will be no need for separate display panels.

Faurecia’s First Inch concept involves the use of a bowtie-shaped panel fashioned from aluminum. Its most distinctive feature is the use of switchless control which function using haptic feedback. This panel can also be made of wood.

Controls utilizing haptic feedback can be integrated as part of 3-D surfaces. This gives designers greater flexibility as it will eliminate the need for many buttons and switches.
According to Tamim Belhaj, Faurecia product director of human machine interface systems, mechatronic and center controls, in the future, there will be a greater chance for the human machine interface or the dashboard controls to become a part of the decorative elements within the car. This concept could possibly transform the way we see car interiors.

A version of Faurecia’s First Inch Concept called DeCo Display will be seen in the 2018 model of the Alfa Romeo Giulia.