Automotive connectivity solutions has progressed incredibly over past few years and now connected vehicle ecosystem is transforming the driving experience. Continuously increasing demands for safe driving, personalized in-vehicle digital systems, and evolving connectivity trends like V2X, predictive maintenance and OTA updates are converting vehicles into smart machines, which connects the driver and passengers with the outside world. To achieve this kind of flexibility in connected vehicle environment, new age automotive HMI solutions need to be much more sophisticated, significant, and contextual for the users.

All the modern day vehicles are equipped with different sorts HMI technologies. Innovation in connectivity solutions, low cost HMI software and enhanced UX has increased its demand in the auto market. Their sophistication, applications, and features keeps on adding as we move up in the economic segments of the cars. Human- Machine interfaces in automotive environment are incorporated in every possible touch point and assists driver and passengers to control infotainment, connectivity solutions and ADAS applications.

According to Precedence Research, the global automotive human machine interface market size was valued at US$ 24.75 billion in 2021 and is predicted to hit US$ 64.52 billion by 2030. The global automotive human machine interface market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2022 to 2030. A focus on technology advancement among automotive manufacturers, growing demand in the connected automobiles market, and increasing sales of commercial and passenger vehicles are the major factors driving the growth of the automotive human machine interface (HMI) market. Therefore, the global automotive HMI market is projected to grow from $10.71 billion in 2021 to $18.64 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 8.2% in forecast period, 2021-2028

What is HMI?

A Human-Machine Interface (HMI) is a user interface or dashboard that connects a person to a machine, system, or device. Human machine interface (HMI) can also be referred to any screen that allows a user to interact with a device, it is mostly associated with industrial operations.

Although HMI is the most common term for this technology but sometimes it is also referred to as Operator Interface Terminal (OIT), Local Operator Interface (LOI), Man-Machine Interface (MMI), or Operator Terminal (OT). Moreover, Graphical User Interface (GUI) and HMI are similar but not synonymous as GUIs are often leveraged within HMIs for visualization capabilities.

HMI in automotive

The need for building trust between drivers and driverless vehicles is making the automotive industry to focus on the user experience. Developers from the top HMI design companies are eager to make user-friendly navigation and infotainment systems so that they don’t distract drivers. Automotive HMIs gain new purpose as it encourages autonomous driving and takes over certain tasks from the driver. The advanced HMIs in car infotainment systems enable drivers to utilize their time in more productive ways. There are many factors such as consumer’s safety, security and the adoption of superior interiors for automobiles are expanding the Human Machine Interface (HMI) market growth. Moreover, the augmentation of vehicle production and sales in Asia-Pacific’s developing countries is driving the automotive human machine interface (HMI) market.

The enhancement of communication and infotainment systems directly influences the growth of the automotive human machine interface (HMI) market. In addition, the surge in demand for electric vehicles too is driving the growth of automotive human machine interface (HMI) market during the forecast period. The potential to improve driver’s in-vehicle experience and provide flawless contact between the vehicle and its passengers results in increasing sales of automotive human machine interface (HMI).

Major Drivers that are Positively Impacting Automotive HMI

A high standard of living and rising disposable income are attracting the demand for premium automobiles. This results in vast automotive HMI growth. Automotive HMI development is providing convenience features and enhanced user experience. Software and incorporation of smartphones with vehicles can be enabled through low-cost HMI tools. Furthermore, fleet management requires the high adoption of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and this results in creating a huge demand for the product and it pushes the market size as well. Also, the incorporation of multiple technologies is further likely to contribute to the automotive HMI market growth.

Let us checkout the product wise installation of the automotive HMI solutions in a vehicle:

• Heads-Up Display: HMI through heads up display (HUD) displays information directly in the driver’s line of sight and enable driver to intuitively access vehicle’s infotainment system. HUD is considered as key interface to control all the functions of the vehicle like media, connectivity, navigation, parking assistance, entertainment, smart-phone integration etc. Latest HMI for HUD use OLED display technology for virtual dashboards with curved screen.
• Rear Seat Entertainment Systems: Rear Seat Entertainment displays are passenger based automotive HMI solutions with high clarity. Latest rear seat systems supports in-car entertainment like movies, games, music, apple car-play, Android Auto, navigation etc.
• Steering based controls: Steering wheel based HMI solutions enables driver to automate the process of driving to some extent. Intuitive steering wheel uses touch technology to react to touch or tap by the driver to manage functions like volume, call connect, hands free etc. It also manages gesture control to detect whether vehicle is in driver’s control or not.
• Digital Instrument Clusters: In-vehicle digital cockpit with digital instrument clusters are in great demand in high-end vehicles. Digital instrument clusters include speedometers, tachometer, function displays, route planning graphics, display video feeds from vehicle cameras etc. HMI of the instrument clusters can be personalized as per user’s requirement and helps in managing driving information like speed, fuel level, trip, temperature, air vent control and more.
• Voice recognition and voice guidance: Voice Assistants and Voice-Guided Interfaces are in huge demand as they reduce driver distractions and provide advanced comfort and convenience features in the vehicle. Companies like Apple and Google with their in-car applications like apple car-play and google android auto helps drivers to find directions, send emails, make phone calls, and play music, all by using voice recognition and voice guidance systems.

Advantages of automotive HMI solutions:

The automotive HMI solutions are evolving very fast to provide unprecedented experience to the driver and passengers. Here are some of the advantages of automotive HMI solutions:

• Improved In-Vehicle Experience: Automotive HMI solutions provide improved in vehicle experience by enabling drivers to interact with the outer environment via touch-screen, head unit, three dimensional heads up display, instrument clusters, steering push buttons, control panels, and advanced infotainment systems.
• Multimodal HMI Solutions: Multi-modal HMI solutions allow drivers to simultaneously manage in-vehicle functions and prioritize information to reduce the driver’s efforts while driving. Multi-modal interfaces along with ML capabilities helps in dealing with vehicular functionalities through visual display systems, face and gesture recognition, voice recognition, surface and mid-air haptics and more.
• Key to Autonomous Driving: A highly sophisticated HMI solution helps in achieving features of autonomous driving and take control on some of the applications of the vehicle while driving. Automotive HMI helps in surround view parking, object recognition and detection, notify driver in case of distraction, improves safety by interacting with other vehicles, and objects around the vehicle.

Future of Automotive HMI: Haptics Technology

Driver distraction is a big issue while driving and automotive companies are coming up with innovative technologies to minimize the same. Most of the companies are using capacitive touch screens, buttons and knobs in in-vehicle HMI applications, which do not generate tactile feedback to the driver. This leads in driver’s distraction while visually confirming if the given input is accepted or not. This is where haptics technology comes into picture. When integrated with in-vehicle devices, haptics provides tactile feedback or a sense of touch into human-machine interfaces.

For instance, if driver want to change the radio station while driving, with capacitive HMI technology he will be just touching the glass, and will have to look and confirm whether the radio station has changed or not. While, automotive HMI solutions based on haptics generate gesture and pressure driven tactile response and provide acknowledgement to the driver on his action to change the radio station.

Haptics is a sensory thing; it eliminates the habit of visual check of the actions given to HMI interfaces and reduces driver distraction while driving. Haptics signals (particularly for ADAS) are very personalized and transmitted just for the driver to sense and act. Its quick reaction time, connectivity and sense of control has made it a trending technology, which has great acceptance in the automotive HMI market.

eInfochips as an Automotive IoT solutions provider, offers services in HMI and user experiences like, personalization, speech and gesture recognition, smartphone integration, and more. enfochips helps automotive companies to design automotive HMI and UX solutions using multimodal experience (touch screen integration, voice recognition, gesture control), usability engineering (graphics design, usability assessment and testing), multi device experience, and technological expertise. Know more on Automotive IoT Solutions.