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Chevrolet kicks backseat boredom to the curb

2012-02-15

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Zurich. Have you ever been on a long road trip, and wished there was something else to do besides gazing at passing scenery or resort to in-car DVD players to avoid the cries of "are we there yet?" from back seat passengers? Well, hold on tight, for help is at hand!

In a unique partnership, Chevrolet/General Motors (GM) engineers and FUTURE LAB students from Israel's Bezalel Academy of Art and Design managed to turn car windows into interactive displays using the latest virtual reality computer technology that takes back-seat entertainment to a new level. Bezalel is Israel's oldest institute of higher education and one of the more prestigious schools of its kind in the world.

Connection to the world outside

The new developments, inspired by psychological studies, will enable car passengers who often feel disconnected from their environment, to enjoy the long rides and build a stronger connection with the world outside the vehicle.

The Windows of Opportunity (WOO) Project tasked the Bezalel students to turn car windows into interactive displays capable of stimulating awareness and nurturing curiosity. Whether it's for entertainment or infotainment, numerous groups can enjoy these interactive windows of opportunity.

Using motion and optical sensor technology, students from the Academy have turned standard car window glass into a multi-touch and gesture sensitive surface, similar to that of a tablet PC or iPad.

Engineering tactics

The Research and Development team gave free reign to the Bezalel students to create applications without concern whether they could be mass produced or not. They created a range of applications to run on the display, which was fitted to a full-scale functional prototype of a rear passenger seat and side window as part of the program.

The apps created include:

• Otto, an animated character projected over passing scenery that responds to real-time car performance, weather and landscape. With Otto, passengers can learn about their environment in fun, playful ways.
• Foofu allows passengers to create, explore and discover through finger drawing on a 'steamy' window.
• Spindow provides users with a real-time look into other users' windows around the world.
• Pond allows passengers to stream and share music with other cars on the road, downloads favorite tracks, and share messages with other passengers on the road.

If such interactive windows are put into automotive production they are likely to use electronically charged "smart-glass" technology, capable of variable states of translucence and transparency, and with the ability to reflect projected images. Smart glass is increasingly used in architectural and display applications, but, outside of movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, is rarely seen in cars.

"Projects like WOO are invaluable, because working with designers and scholars from outside of the automotive industry brings fresh perspective to vehicle technology development," said Omer Tsimhoni, Lab Group Manager for Human-Machine Interface, GM Advanced Technical Center in Israel. "WOO is just one of many projects that could reinvent the passenger experience in years to come."

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of more than four million vehicles in more than 140 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet cars combine bold design, performance, innovation and practicality. They provide outstanding value for money. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand celebrated its centenary in 2011. The brand was re-launched in Europe in 2005. It is represented with a total of 2,500 sales and service outlets in Western and Central Europe. The European Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo sedan and hatchback, the compact Cruze sedan and hatchback, the Orlando family van, the Captiva SUV, the legendary Camaro and Corvette sports cars and the extended-range Volt electric car. In 2012, Chevrolet is launching the Cruze station wagon and the Malibu mid-size sedan. More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevroleteurope.com or media.chevroleteurope.com.