Car tech and audio brand Harman has unveiled a Kinect-like system that responds to hand movements, nods and winks, using a dash-mounted infrared sensor. Waving a hand over the gearshifter adjusts the climate control temperature, and using the hand signal for ‘on the phone’ will get your Bluetooth mobile connection to make a call.
Wink to turn the audio system on and off, tap the steering wheel to skip to the next track or radio station and tilt your head to turn the volume up and down. We can imagine a fairly frustrating trip for drivers who like to bob their heads in time to the doof-doof – or drum the beat out on the steering wheel -- and also for those who use hands to animate their chatter.
But Harman says the system will be able to tell the difference between control gestures and everyday ones – and will be tested to take cultural movements into account.
"It’s all about reducing distractions in the car," says Harman director of technology Hans Roth. "These basic gestures are being testing around the globe to find the ideal system that can be used in countries around the world.
"We’ve started it and now it's about choosing the right gestures and getting it to production. You’ve got to make sure it’s culturally acceptable. In Italy for example drivers use hand gestures a lot when they drive so it needs finalising."Harman says the system won’t be looking at a launch for two to three years, but that means it could be first to market with the system – although some carmakers are already working on similar technology.
Last year, BMW showed a prototype gesture system that allows the driver to adjust audio volume by raising or lowering a hand in front of the centre stack, and can also change tracks and satnav views. At January’s CES tech-fest in Las Vegas, Mercedes-Benz showed their DICE, or Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience simulator, which is points to their future development of gesture controls.
Cadillac’s CUE system uses a proximity sensor to detect when your hand is near the infotainment touchscreen and reveals a second array of controls that disappear again when the hand moves away. You still have to touch the buttons, but even this limited use of gesture recognition heralds that big changes are on the way to your car.
