OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 1/2018

124 One thing is clear: the cockpit of the future will become a new living space and the car a smart mobile. An unstoppable trend! This is underlined not least by the lively participa- tion of manufacturers and suppliers at CES, a trade show that was originally intended as a stage for consumer electronics companies. There they present new products from the areas of infotainment, the connected car and autonomous driving. The boundaries between our vehicle and our homes or of- fices are becoming more and more blurred, and the future car is no longer just an utopia. No, things are moving faster and faster. Even now, the car is notjust a means of transport to get from A to B. Rather, it is developing into another space in which we live, work and interact with the world around us. Faurecia has taken on the challenges and de- veloped a comprehensive technology offer- ing that will make the cockpit of the future a reality today. The company is a pioneer when it comes to providing greater safety, com- fort and connectivity through the seamless integration of electronics, smart surfaces, displays and human machine interfaces. The result is a versatile, connected and predictive on-board experience. At the cutting edge of this revolution: Faurecia’s Cockpit of the fu- ture. Kicked off two years ago, the initiative reflects the intersection of the company’s two business groups Seating and Interiors. The fu- sion of these two fields of expertise positions Faurecia as the world’s only automotive sup- plier capable of providing its customers with a full cockpit system solution. Complete systems are not the only path of de- velopment Faurecia is pursuing. This includes complex technology bricks that can be intro- duced individually. Several of the most recent bricks were on display at the CES in January 2018, such as the morphing instrument pan- el, the connected seat cover for health and well-being, and the voice-activated cockpit. Faurecia’s extensive know-how in mechatron- ics, kinematics and design is evident in the development of the Morphing Instrument Panel. When the driver changes to autono- mous driving mode, the display slides into a central position. At the same time, the shape of the dashboard adapts seamlessly to the new position. Smart micro-mechanics and special materials make these coordinated, flowing processes possible. In addition, Faurecia is the first supplier worldwide to integrate Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa as an integral part of the car interior. For example, new destinations can be entered, a movie can be ordered, or calls made via voice control. Faurecia and Parrot Automotive are thus creating a seamless tran- sition between smart home and smart car. With Active Wellness Express™, Faurecia has developed a connected seat cover for pro- fessional drivers with sensors for monitoring health and wellness data (heart rate, heart rate fluctuations, respiratory rate, etc.). Active Wellness Express™ is an aftermarket solution that not only provides more comfort for pro- fessional drivers, but also helps maintain their health. Two other themes that are driving the cock- pit of the future and thus an improved life on board are personalization and intuitive- ness. As with their mobile phones, consum- ers expect an individual experience and Tomorrow is coming … today By David Degrange, Vice President Cockpit of the Future Project at Faurecia Current social developments are directly reflected in the trends in the automotive industry. Topics such as connectivity, health and well-being, personalization and sustainability are driving change in the industry. Here‘s a guest post by David Degrange, Vice President of the Cockpit of the Future Project at Faurecia. Interior Image/Graphic: © Faurecia