The virtual future

“If there’s one piece of in-car technology that defines 2016, and will lead the way over the coming years, it’s the Audi virtual cockpit,” said the judges of Europe’s inaugural Car Tech Awards. 

“We were endlessly impressed… and the more you use it, the better it gets.”

The Audi virtual cockpit – with its 12.3-inch screen, customisable layout, and lightning-fast display – was a startling window into the future as soon as it debuted in the latest generation Audi TT. Offering a replacement for the traditional instrument cluster, it’s remained state-of-the-art during its speedy rollout over subsequent models, from the new R8 to the A3. But it also put the challenge to Ingolstadt’s tech wizards: when you’ve set the technological bar so high, where to next? 

Now, one possible answer has arrived, courtesy of the recent Audi e-tron quattro concept technology study. In a nutshell: you’ve seen the virtual cockpit… but what about an entire Audi virtual dashboard?

A bold but logical window into the future, the virtual dashboard comprises multiple curved, flat and haptic-feedback-enabled OLED displays, each of which assumes different tasks. These screens lay the foundation for an entirely digital system – one that adapts to the use patterns of individual customers. By providing extensive connectivity and intelligent hints to support the user along the way, it works as a discrete, ever-ready personal assistant. 

Positioned in the driver’s direct field of vision is the curved OLED of an evolved 14.1” Audi virtual cockpit screen. In its base menu, it displays the speed, charge status of the traction battery and range in pin-sharp, 2240 x 720-pixel resolution. As per the current virtual cockpit, the display is customisable, with an information toggled via the multifunction steering wheel.

For the large central display, a slightly curved screen surface eliminates glare to maximise clarity. This is an advantage enabled by AMOLED technology – Active Matric Organic Light Emitting Diodes – which allows Audi to tailor the display’s contours precisely, to any shape, using extremely thin films.

The centre console features a pair of touch displays: an upper screen showing classic infotainment content such as navigation and media; a lower screen for text input and to operate the automatic air conditioning system. Every key function is incorporated into these displays, which can be personalised to ‘favourite’ particular functions or information. 

Finally, the new type of MMI operation with MMI touch response recognises and adapts to touch gestures. Like a latest generation smartphone, the system provides haptic feedback that can be clearly felt on the finger when scrolling or gently pressing the screen. 

Some visions of future technology are more complete than others. While the Audi virtual cockpit, in The Car Tech Awards judges’ words, will continue to “lead the way over the coming years”, the virtual dashboard offers incredible potential. If it is a window into the future, let’s hope the Audi e-tron concept technology study is crystal clear.