We have a continuum of control over a vehicle from direct human contact to the vehicle driving itself in response to the driver's wishes, or, in a more fanciful world, anticipating the driver's intention and acting accordingly. Find out more about automotive HMI http://bit.ly/cockpit-hmi

1. The role, potential, and future of HMI
What HMI is
The term “Human-Machine Interface” (HMI) also refers to "man–machine interface" (MMI)
and sometimes "human–computer interface" (HCI). “HMI” supplants the more sexist “MMI”,
and “HCI” refers more to human interaction with actual computers, such as laptops and
personal computers (PC). To understand the full import of HMI, explaining some historical
perspective is necessary. As generally applied, the HMI has been around since the time
when machines were invented, the underlying thinking being how to make the human use of
the machine more efficient. To appreciate the importance of the HMI, we can think of Hero's
(of Alexandria, Egypt - c. 10–70 C.E.) primitive steam toy, where jet nozzles mounted in
opposite directions on arms protruding from a sphere were powered by steam fed by an
entrance tube to a rod placed between two vertical supports, causing the whole assembly to
spin. One merely looked at the device as a novelty, as there was no discernible way a
person could do anything with it. However, placing an attachment, such as a gear (an
interface), would present the idea that the machine could be used to power something,
although that was never done. Hero's device would remain as a mere toy until the latter
1700s, when in 1698 English inventor Thomas Savery patented the first crude steam
engine. Similarly, designing a farm tractor hitch to indicate that various devices can be
hooked to the vehicle is an example of an interface that gives the user information that a
piece of machinery can be used in numerous ways. Interfaces, then, tell people what
functions are available for use and how to interact with them.
As devices became more complicated, humans had to be more mindful of how well they
were functioning, as well as whether they functioned at all. The advent of gauges and
meters allowed a more human-machine interaction, where humans would discern the level
of functionality and, in turn were able to respond. Today, we have computer graphics to
render interfaces to tell users what they can do with an application, the most common being
graphical user interfaces (GUI). Graphics are not found only on a computer but are what is
presented to the driver of a modern automobile to show what a person can do.
Depending upon the price of the vehicle, the user gets what s/he wants up to the point of
the car actually being able to steer itself. Two groups of technologies are available, the first
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2. being directly related to the steerage of the vehicle and the second, “other”, non-steering-
related features, such as entertainment, weather, and so forth. Types of information can
be conveyed visually and by audio pertaining to fuel, condition of brakes, tire pressure,
maps, and driving suggestions. For electro-mobile vehicles design isn't affected; there are
the same considerations, only the information reflects status of power – battery, thermal,
and so forth. Emerging technology is more interactive with the driver, such as being able to
detect and warn of drowsiness. There are touch screen technology and interfaces with
mobile devices, such as Blackberry and iPad. Maps can show traffic lights and optimum
speed needed to pass through them safely.
Basic Human-Machine Interface [1]
So, we see the logical way of discussing HMI is to determine what the function is being
performed and how the human interacts with it. First, we must assess how far the
technology can be developed.
Potential and limits of user centered design HMI
We have a continuum of control over a vehicle from direct human contact to the vehicle
driving itself in response to the driver's wishes, or, in a more fanciful world, anticipating the
driver's intention and acting accordingly. In between passive gauges and a vehicle with
consciousness is where we find ourselves. User needs and wants are balanced by
technological capability, but, perhaps more importantly, environmental and physical
constraints, as well as practical limits. Just because something can be done technologically
doesn't mean that it should be done, such as the flying cars. (In fact, they have been
invented and flown but they really never “took off”.) HMI is not all about a matter of glitz
and gadgetry. We must see everything in a larger context. Two areas in which HMI is being
developed are in actual driving and in personal comfort. We will consider first how driving is
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3. being shaped.
“Sustainability” is a major watchword, and this comes in the form of traffic management and
fuel availability, among other factors. Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company
speech at Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference in March 2011. [TED is a
nonprofit organization dedicated to "Ideas worth spreading [2]. Ford stated that we cannot
simply have more roads. For example, the average commute in Beijing is five hours. In
the summer of 2010 there was a 100 mile traffic jam that took 11 days to clear in China. In
the coming decades 75% of the world's population will be living in cities, 50 of which will
have more than 10 million people.
To address all of this, Ford stated that we need “smart' cars, “smart” roads, public transport,
and other measures that will address the overcrowding of cars on the highways in order to
have the freedom of mobility. Some technology to address the issue has been developed.
Smart cars have the capability of detecting empty parking spaces, thus obviating having to
drive a long time searching. Already, in many cities there are timed traffic lights, where by
maintaining an optimal speed, a driver can “make” every light without stopping. Added to
this, however, is forward-looking traffic control (automatic positioning), where the driver is
warned via an HMI of accidents, congestion, and construction, thus being given the option of
taking different routes. A major cause of accidents is tailgating and failing to keep distance,
but cars will have not only monitoring equipment but devices exist to physically slow down
or stop the car before it crashes. Numerous systems have been deployed giving drivers
directions through the global positioning system (GPS) as to the best routes both audibly
and by text [3]. The only step remaining is to coordinate the cars with each other. To do
this requires a global network and interconnected solutions. Vehicles will need to be
treated as a large organism when viewed all at once, rather than individual isolated personal
units.
To maximize the effectiveness of this technology means an integrated transport system that
coordinates traffic flow. At this point drivers have the choice to override the
recommendations of a car's computer, but it is by no means certain that this will be possible
if current trends continue of more automobiles being on the road. People may perforce have
less of a choice about being in total charge about where and when they will navigate, not
unlike a packet of information being routed over a communications network by sophisticated
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4. management software. Development is progressing towards cars communicating with each
other via mesh networks, much in the same way people do in walking in crowded spaces, in
order to keep distance and choose the most efficient routes. It is anticipated that a person
entering a crowded area will be switched to a network and integrated into the traffic
management process for that area.
Aside from technology to regulate the movement of cars in a coordinated fashion, car
sharing [4], mass transit, and bicycling must be used, but the former two are anticipated to
be in the network as well. Besides these modes of transportation is what might be called
“personal busses”. Masdar City in Abu Dhabi claims itself to be carbon neutral and has a
system of driverless “Personal Rapid Transit” electric vehicles, where a person hops in and is
transported automatically to where s/he wants to go [5]. This system points to a major
problem that current petroleum fueled vehicles face: peak oil. Organizations like Oil Drum
[6] argue that there simply will not be petroleum available in the future for vehicles.
Alternative fuel sources and switching to electro-mobility (all electric transportation systems)
will be necessary, but this does not seem to imply major changes in the basic concepts of
HMI. Germany is pressing ahead with its national platform for electro-mobility, which
prioritizes research, development, and deployment of electric-based transportation,
including networking all transportation systems [7]. There will be, of course, different
information displayed in such systems, such as the amount of battery power left and the
thermal condition of electric vehicles, but the main function will be the integration of vehicles
into a global transportation network.
Want to learn more about the future of automotive HMI?
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5. References (Subject is indicated by URL – accessed 2 July 2011)
[1] https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.iav.com/_downloads/us/handouts/vehi
cle_electronics/110330_Elektromobilitaet_US_WEB.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=true
[2] http://www.ted.com/,
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/26/ford.mobility/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
[3] http://reviews.cnet.com/best-gps/
[4] http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/robin_chase_on_zipcar_and_her_next_big_idea.htm
l
[5] http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2043934,00.html
[6] http://www.theoildrum.com/
[7] http://www.din.de/cmd?level=tpl-
artikel&menuid=49589&cmsareaid=49589&cmsrubid=56731&menurubricid=56731&cmstext
id=140885&bcrumblevel=1&languageid=en
[8] https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.aide-
eu.org/pdf/final_workshop/day1/round_table/aide_statuschallanges_eckstein_final.pdf&emb
edded=true&chrome=true
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-controlled_aircraft#History
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VisLab_Intercontinental_Autonomous_Challenge
Resources (Subject is indicated by URL – accessed 2 July 2011)
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/26/ford.mobility/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
http://www.iqpc.com/Event.aspx?id=329218 http://www.iqpc.com/Event.aspx?id=519420
Research researchers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b0bObGXYSU
http://trid.trb.org/view.aspx?id=706294
http://encartrade.com/060_BACKYARD/65_GA/by_ga_video_world_content.jsp?H_V_VIDEO
CD=BV201101310000000038
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.icas.org/ICAS_ARCHIVE_CD1998-
2010/ICAS2008/PAPERS/248.PDF&embedded=true&chrome=true
http://www.icas.org/ICAS_ARCHIVE_CD1998-2010/ICAS2008/PAPERS/248.PDF
http://www.conti-
online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/automotive/themes/passenger_cars/interior/i
nterior_modules/cockpit_modules/cockpit_en,tabNr=1.html
www.lss.fd.cvut.cz/publications/on-line-publications/bouchner.../at.../file
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6. http://automotiveiq.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/hmi-the-hi-tech-lifesaver-in-road-
accidents/
http://www.asas-tn.org/library/projects/masafas/requirements/D08.pdf/preview_popup/file
http://www.offenes-presseportal.de/auto_verkehr/hmi_green_driving_and_electro-
mobility_new_design_and_operation_concepts_for_driver_safety_and_comfort_271171.htm
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.iav.com/_downloads/us/handouts/vehicle_
electronics/110330_Elektromobilitaet_US_WEB.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=true
http://wn.com/HMI_Technologies_2011
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.aide-
eu.org/pdf/final_workshop/day1/round_table/aide_statuschallanges_eckstein_final.pdf&emb
edded=true&chrome=true
http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/abs/10.1201/9781420007497.ch32
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Visit IQPC for a portfolio of topic-related events, congresses, seminars and conferences: www.iqpc.de