For years we have been using touchscreens in cars to control infotainment, navigation and comfort functions, and for years designers have been faced with the problem of whether customers prefer to use a landscape or portrait format screen.
Tesla set a trend with the raised screen in the center console and switched to the landscape format screen with the Facelift of Model S and Model X . Volvo and Mercedes also use this format in their cars, while the majority of manufacturers use the classic landscape format.
"Make things look better in landscape format"
Electronics specialist Mitsubishi Electric now wants to remedy the situation. The Japanese are currently developing a system under the project name "Firebird Digital Cockpit" whose special feature is a rotating infotainment screen. The touchscreen can easily be rotated from portrait mode (portrait) to landscape mode (landscape) and back. The respective layouts of the functions on the screen (navigation, apps, telephony) then change with the orientation. Tablets and smartphones offer this function, for example for taking photos or playing games.
In addition to the rotating screen, Mitsubishi Electric has implemented Amazon Alexa voice control, which can be used to control the vehicle assistance systems. Directional microphones allow voice input from several passengers, with the driver's commands being prioritized. The system also has the option of connecting multiple phones via Bluetooth and accessing individual contacts separately. Seat positions and the layout of the screen and orientation can be saved in user profiles.
An app allows the owner, among other things, to open and close the vehicle and monitor it all around. While driving, the outdoor cameras act as dash cams, simultaneously displaying road conditions, signs and speed limits. The system with the still quite bulky test screen is initially intended for entry-level models up to the middle class.
Conclusion
The attached and freely rotatable rotating screen can be interesting for car manufacturers because it can not only offer different screen sizes depending on space and equipment version, but also makes a swivel monitor possible for operation from the passenger seat. The Firebird system also offers numerous other functions that are not yet available in the entry-level segment.
