Displays and smart surfaces

Smart surfaces & displays – Inspire and surprise customers

With intelligent surfaces such as KOSTAL skintec® or KOSTAL protec®, the vehicle seemingly comes to life. The control surfaces are adapted to the design contours. The symbol brightness is adjusted to the ambient light to create a day and night design, adding to the overall high-quality feel. 

KOSTAL's smart display approach, with powerful local graphics and processing power thanks to the HMI integrated in the armrest, offers the flexibility and performance that the end customer expects and that also respond to industry trends.

Available functionality of smart surfaces

• Superior design for enhanced brand identity
• Capacitive hybrid switch
• Black panel effect
• Function on demand

Extensive product range – Displays

• Mechatronics expertise enables iconic new HMIs
• Wide variety of design possibilities thanks to optical adhesion, decorative films and real glass
• User experience-driven HMI concepts – supported by prototypes
• Technical software expertise from bare programming to Android-Auto-Integration
• Expert know-how in the integration of touch sensors

Innovation & trends – HMI

• Hardware for smart displays
• Graphical user interface
• Linux-based development
• Production possibilities for display-based HMIs

Key functional features of the HMI integrated in the armrest

• Display – reconfigurable and context-sensitive information and control elements
• Touchpad control – easy control of screen contents that are out of reach (e. g. instrument cluster)
• Surface & design – seamless 3D surface and variety of materials (wood, leather, glass etc.) for contemporary and individual requirements 
• Tactile and easy-to-grip HMI elements – driver can control vehicle functions without needing to look away from the road 
• Active haptics – intuitive operation of graphical user interfaces 

Switch panels – Customer-specific development

In line with the customer's requirements profile, KOSTAL provides fully configurable module and platform concepts for switch panels. KOSTAL development systems use proven, standard technologies and integrate these into new installation situations and surface designs.

Production facilities with globally valid standards ensure a high degree of flexibility in the planning of production sites, taking into account the respective customer requirements.

Virtual modularisation in design leads to customer-specific and cost-optimised solutions, with predictable high quality and short design and installation times.

Innovation & trends

• Tactile feedback – customer-specific adaptation of forces and  travels
• Lighting technology based on state-of-the-art techniques for light simulation
• Closed functional surfaces with capacitive and/or force sensor technologies
• Wear-free contact systems (capacitive, magnetic and optical sensors)
• Display integration to move from function-based to multifunctional switch panels

Product range of switch panels

• Steering wheel switches including paddle, light switches, power window switches, seat adjustment switches, start/stop switches, air conditioning control units, switch panels, hazard warning light switches, PAO displays, central locking switches

Available functionality

• Full sensory, hybrid and traditional switch panels/surfaces
• Passive and active haptic solutions
• Touch sensors for slider and matrix functionality
• Force sensors to trigger operating functions or dynamic seat adjustment
• Proximity sensors to control lighting scenarios
• Function on demand including black panel 'vanish' effect
• Varied and lasting decorative techniques – IML, IMD coatings, wood, chrome
• KOSTAL skintec® self-healing surfaces 
• KOSTAL sentec® functional films
• KOSTAL protec® antibacterial surfaces

KOSTAL roof modules serve as a gateway for communication between the vehicle world and local subsystems. Sensor signals, for example from the self-dimming mirrors or rain/light sensor, are processed in the roof module.

They are also a key component of modern HMI concepts, in which the roof module can handle a variety of functions and displays with a high degree of integration and is extremely well embedded in the driver experience.

To optimally support your future HMI concepts in combination with future-proof design, KOSTAL offers the option of integrating state-of-the-art sensor, lighting and surface technologies in roof modules.

Many brands in a wide range of vehicle segments trust in KOSTAL roof modules. You will find KOSTAL roof modules in following brands Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, BMW and General Motors, among others.

Innovation & trends

• Lighting design – innovative lighting technologies: optimum dazzle-free illumination with LED and filament lamp technologies
• Functional integration – integrated theft warning sensors, camera, motion sensors for gesture control, and more
• Customised solutions for discreet touch areas such as transparent glass

Available functionality

• Reading light elements in the form of matrix and LED technologies including touch switching functions
• Ambient light combined with design elements
• Switch panels for sun roofs and blinds in the form of traditional switching elements or state-of-the-art touch sliders
• Safety functions such as emergency call, service requests and airbag ON/OFF displays can be expertly integrated into the design
• Integrated elements in the roof module may include: motion sensors, interior cameras, climate sensors, digital/analogue microphones, anti-tow and anti-theft protection in any form
• Storage trays with inching function opening
• Control and integration of reading lights for rear compartment (see picture on left)

Rain/light sensor

The portfolio is complemented with the 7th generation stand-alone rain/light sensor which is remarkable for its extremely compact dimensions, allowing it to be incorporated in the base of the mirror and due to its colour it is well harmonized with the windscreen. It also includes the driver-monitoring camera. This camera operates in the interior of the vehicle and checks the driver’s head and eyelid positions, thus detecting his or her attention level. In future, where piloted steering is installed, this will allow the driver to take his hands from the steering wheel.

• Proven KOSTAL performance of previous generations
• Optimum dimensions for integration at the base of the mirror
• Scalable: includes solar, fogging, and ambient light (HUD) sensors as options
• Uniform black footprint on the windscreen