POWER ELECTRONICS
A BAD IMAGE When discussing next-generation HMIs in the trucking world conversation (quite rightly) focuses fi rst on safety and then on comfort. That said, I believe there is another opportunity for truck HMIs to solve a wider problem, the issue of lack of drivers. Numbers vary depending on the
source but current estimates range between a 50,000 to 86,000 shortfall in the driver workforce. A reason frequently fl oated for this is there are not enough young people interested in entering the profession, and it’s here I see the opportunity. Ask any 18 year old to describe the inside of a truck and you’ll likely get a response tinged by images of dials and switches lifted straight from a Transformers movie. This next generation of drivers will have known connectivity their whole lives, and for all the emphasis on safety and comfort, there is something to be said for bringing in a degree of ‘wow factor’. HMIs are created using interface
development environments (IDEs). There are a wide variety of tools available for OEMs to choose from – Altia, Kanzi, Qt, EB Guide and CGI Studio, to name a few. These tools combine 2D and 3D design with animation and code, the fi nal output being shipped to the OEM or Tier 1 supplier for embedding in the HMI fi rmware.
The current crop of leading IDEs
borrow real-time 3D rendering techniques lifted wholesale from the gaming industry. Market-leading games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty are built using 3D engines. These engines draw geometry on screen, apply a texture and then render the result at any between 30 to 60 frames per second (FPS) on screen, in real time. On top of this these engines can apply diff erent eff ects to the rendered image. Particle systems are used to create anything that is small and numerous, such as rain, grass or stars. Bloom is used to create dazzling
light at the end of dark corridors or through church windows. Kanzi now supports particle systems and Altia supports bloom, and although it may seem outlandish to borrow these eff ects for a truck interface, the car industry has already taken notice. The Rolls Royce Phantom Concept car features a full-width screen in its interior, and the virtual assistant, Eleanor, is rendered entirely using a particle system. Naturally images such as these
require extended processing power, normally manifesting in a graphics processing unit (GPU). The FPS count hinges entirely on the power of the GPU; drop below 30 FPS and on-screen movement begins to stutter and jump like a fl ick book missing pages. An added issue is that textures need to be stored in memory. The richer the
textures, the more memory required. Next time you see an in-cab 3D GPS system and wonder why buildings and landmarks are rendered as textureless fl at boxes, this is why. GPUs and memory aren’t cheap and in an automotive world hell-bent on keeping costs down, investment in dedicated GPUs may seem absurd to your average purchasing team. That said, hardware costs will slowly but irrevocably fall, and the OEMs that capitalise on creating a visually richer experience will be the ones that capture the eye of a generation hungry for the future now.
AN EXCITING FUTURE Although it can be challenging to make defi nitive predictions in the technology sector, the one certainty is that innovation in HMI design will continue at pace. Some technologies will take root and blossom, as touchscreens, voice control and ADAS have. Others may fall by the wayside or be relegated to support roles. Whatever happens, the opportunity for step change improvement in truck HMIs couldn’t be greater, and I look forward to seeing continual innovation from truck OEMs large and small. That is unless autonomous trucks wipe out the driver market altogether, but that’s a discussion for another article... ●
For more on Conjure’s work see
www.conjure.co.uk
Think bike
It’s not just the trucking industry benefi ting from advacnes in HMI technology. When Triumph came
to update its Street Triple motorcycle with a new rider interface Conjure jumped at the chance to be involved as it was a completely new approach to instrumentation. To start, we identifi ed
16 control parameters including suspension
adjustment, trip odometers and screen height adjustment. We knew an intuitive user control approach would be vital to gain acceptance and not put people off. Screen contrast would be crucial for use in different lighting conditions. For hardware
development, we relied on rapid prototyping using low-fi prototypes run on tablets, mimicking the size
The display is customisable
and contrast of the actual bike screen. Finally, to offer visual
customisation for users, we created three types of data layout, along with two individual themes.
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