VW previews new car control tech
A show car controlled by gestures points the way to the future of the facelifted Volkswagen Golf hatch due late next year.
VW unveiled an augmented Golf R Touch concept at Shanghai's inaugural Consumer Electronics Show Asia this week.
The car uses VW's latest digital displays — including a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen backed by an eight-inch display — to control the air-conditioning and audio settings and the 12.3-inch "virtual cockpit" driver's display already fitted to Audis.
VW says the gesture controls are designed to reduce distraction and button numbers in the cabin, letting the driver concentrate on the road. The concept car uses swipe, tap and flick finger controls to operate the sunroof and windows, though the production model's capabilities are likely to be restricted to the infotainment screen.
Even there, VW has spent time identifying how humans behave when using gesture-based controls and has added haptic feedback in the form of vibrations to verify physically that the user has performed an action.
The "Parking Perfect" software was displayed to show the progress in autonomous driving
A smartphone or tablet can be used to customise the infotainment screen, adjusting everything from the layout of the features to the background picture in much the same way as owners customise the look of their home screen or desktop.
The "Parking Perfect" software was displayed to show the progress in autonomous driving. The tech enables owners to have the car drop them off at a restaurant and then automatically find a parking bay. The car is later recalled by pressing a button on a watch or smartphone.
Don't expect that feature on Australian models in the near future, given the lack of supporting infrastructure.
Volkswagen's prestige partner Audi went one better by showing an electric R8 supercar fitted out with the "Piloted Driving" software that has already enabled an RS7 to drive autonomously around a racetrack.
Audi head Rupert Stadler confirms the Audi A8 limousine will be the first production model to include the full autonomous driving suite when it goes on sale in 2017.
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