Interesting article from autonews.com this week: a(nother) new piece of technology has just been introduced by TRW Automotive Holdings Corp.: an in-vehicle touch-pad sensor that can read letters and numbers drawn with a finger. The premise here is to allow drivers to do more with less distraction.

Most of us spend a large amount of time in our cars during the week, and we all want to multitask while we're in them. Emails, phone calls, and notes don't stop just because we're behind the wheel. So automotive companies have responded by creating more and more in-vehicle options for busy drivers. On the one hand, this has led to some fantastic advancements, connecting drivers to their social media platforms and allowing them to keep in touch with family, friends, fans, and coworkers while on the road. But on the other hand, this also means drivers are focusing less and less on the road.

Despite efforts to make vehicle touch-screens and interactive services hands free and easy to access without pushing a lot of buttons, there is still a chance that the driver will be too distracted to break a little bit earlier or pay as much attention to the other cars on the road.

We want to stay connected, and we also want to be safe. Do you think automotive companies are on the right track to keep creating products that can be operated in cars, or should we focus less on distractions and more on the road?

TRW says touch-pad sensor reads letters, reduces distraction

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20120406/OEM06/120409883#ixzz1rIIBzYSx

DETROIT -- Supplier TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. has unveiled an in-vehicle touch-pad sensor that reads finger-drawn letters and numbers, enabling occupants to operate accessories and devices with less distraction, the company says.

The sensor will be ready for production this fall, TRW said. No production contracts have been announced, but spokesman John Wilkerson said the supplier has received “definite customer interest” in Europe, where the technology was mainly developed.

The sensor uses advanced handwriting recognition software to interpret numbers, letters and symbols, then initiates commands. An “A” written on the touch pad, for instance, could switch operations over to audio controls, Wilkerson said in an interview this week.

TRW said using a touch-pad sensor instead of keyboardlike input reduces driving deviations by 78 percent.

Automakers would decide where to place the sensor, but TRW said its tests have shown that the best location is in the center console or the door armrests.

Frank Koch, advanced engineering manager for TRW’s Body Control Systems, said the sensor is the first to recognize symbols such as Chinese characters without the need of transcription aids.

“The touch-pad technology has huge potential for global vehicle markets,” Koch said in a statement.

It also enables the driver to operate applications such as mobile phones, navigation systems and the radio, as well as send messages from the touch pad, TRW said.

Wilkerson said automakers would determine many of the sensor’s functions, such as how it interacts with external devices.

“The touch pad is an interface to the vehicle” he said. “It can take you to things but it’s not part of the connection between the phone and the car.”

Wilkerson used a phone’s Pandora Internet radio app as an example. By writing the letter “P” on the touch pad, he said, the user can access the application faster than fumbling with multiple devices.

Said Wilkerson: “It’s meant to be as simplistic as possible.”

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20120406/OEM06/120409883#ixzz1rII1T2mF