With driverless cars predicted to be the vehicles of the future, the interior controls are something for today's engineers and product designers to contemplate. The use of silicone rubber keypads is one of the likely components in the new vehicles due to their versatility, durability and customization. A change in placement will be necessary, but possible. While there are several designs in play with half a dozen auto manufacturers and technology companies, automotive industry experts predict driverless vehicles will reach the consumer market between 2020 and 2028. Some vehicles will have a partially automated control in place by 2015. Now is the time for designers of these futuristic cars to start planning out the use of silicone rubber keypad design.
Placement
Rubber keypads are already in use in most vehicles on the road today.
The difference will likely be in their placement and custom design. For a side-seat passenger, for example, a central panel on the dashboard still makes the most sense, with custom rubber keypads for comfort, lighting and music. A computerized screen for the automated driver, however, will take up much of that space as seen in many of the present designs. The new console for passenger access will likely need to be on the right-hand side of the dashboard. On the door, there are buttons for door locks and window operation. Is that enough? Seat heating and placement are quickly becoming options in higher line vehicles. Incorporating these controls into a rubber keypad within arm's reach of the passengers will no doubt provide more creature comforts for the front seat and the back seat as well.
Customization
Vehicles with a variety of features can be customized by the designer. For example, silicone rubber keypads can control access to any controls in the vehicle, from music to lighting to the likely-to-be-required automated shut-off switch.Versatility
The placement of keys on rubber keypads is critical to comfort and convenience of passengers. The buttons can be designed in any shape or color, so designers should consider the primary use. For example, features for temperature, vent and air control could be centrally located with an off-on switch and colors denoting cold and hot keys, with arrows for increasing or decreasing temperature and output. Window and seat operations are other options for control. Custom silicone molding can be used around the keypad as well as throughout the vehicle to protect crevices and seams from moisture, chemical and dust penetration. The color scheme can be adjusted to coordinate or contrast with the other colors in the vehicle.Durability
Custom silicone rubber is a durable material that can withstand heavy use, dirt, moisture and extreme conditions. Keypads for tomorrow's cars will need all of these features to last as long as the vehicles. Additionally, silicone rubber manufacturers can add coatings that are resistant to abrasion and chemicals. They can also improve bonding to acrylics, as well as provide a silicone-based conducive coating to silicone keypad products.
Posted By Lotfi Ben Taleb
Tunisian Blogger obsessed with technology news and innovations around the world. contact me
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