Byton Aims for UI as Center of Next-Gen Cars
Startup electric vehicle company Byton sees user interface as the future of the driving experience, said President Daniel Kirchert, addressing the CES Asia conference Thursday in Shanghai. The company’s first step was to do away with a cars’ traditional interface…
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of buttons and knobs as it redefines the car interior as a “digital living space.” Each passenger has an individual full digital experience, Kirchert said. The 49-inch “shared experience display” from the driver's side to the passenger’s window has a dedicated panel for the driver and two separate ones for passengers that can function together or independently. Gone are buttons, replaced by an eight-inch touchpad in the steering wheel, plus voice and gesture control, said Kirchert. Facial recognition will identify passengers and download personal profiles, he said. Kirchert quoted Apple co-founder Steve Jobs as saying technological revolution “will start from the user interface.” Kirchert said “that will definitely be true for the smart car.” Jobs might not have appreciated what Kirchert said next about the user experience in a Byton vehicle: “Passengers will not ever have to take out their smartphone again.” The automaker with $500 million in Series B funding also previewed a concept Level 4 autonomous vehicle sedan.