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The Rinspeed
Senso with zenMotion shows what the future in automotive man machine
interaction could look like: As soon as the driver approaches the
car, the zenMotion displays wake up. Based on sensory data from
the last trip (gasoline useage, speed, driving behavior etc.), a
central computer generates animated patterns on the displays, which
at this moment only serve as ornament. However, if certain parameters
(such as oil level) are out of their normal range, the patterns
change in order to give a visual hint of the anomaly. During the
trip, sensors constantly measure speed, accelerate-brake frequency,
the drivers pulse, and other aspects that are part of the
driving behavior. Depending on the situation, the patterns
change to soothe the driver or keep him/her awake, the music volume
is adjusted accordingly, and the cabin temperature rises or falls.
Of course, this happens in very subtle and unobtrusive ways, so
the driver will still fully concentrate on the traffic. When the
car is halted, the displays show some of the generated patterns
for a while, then they switch to stand-by mode, ready to wake up
for the next ride. At the core of the Rinspeed Senso, a computer
calculates the cognitively effective patterns based on data obtained
by a wide range of sensors: Lane tracking, acceleration-brake cycles,
temperature, eye-tracking, pulse, etc. all contribute to the driving
behavior, which in turn is influenced by the displayed patterns.
Of course, the above scenario is still only a vision. The current
incarnation does not yet feature all of the described sensors, but
already gives a good idea of what the future will look like.