Japan To Launch Ultra-Thin Car Dashboard Touchscreen In 2013

Just when we thought cars couldn’t become any more tech-infused (after hearing about Audi’s new exterior OLED surface wrapping technology), we now find out about car dashboards becoming ultra-thin touchscreens. It’s a new technology that could make car dashboards a whole lot more useful, and relay information previously not available to the driver. The complete interactive engine failure overview could easily tell the driver what has gone wrong under the hood for example.

This technology “breakthrough” comes from a collaboration dubbed Japan Display Inc. between Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi. They set out to innovate together in order to bring technology further in a shorter period of time. The result of their labor is three groundbreaking display technologies that will make any other touchscreen look dated and redundant.

Two of the displays they managed to create are meant for smartphones and tablets. They are ultra-thin and measure as little as one millimeter in thickness. Their most innovative technology though is a curved car dashboard touchscreen that could make vehicles in 2013 a whole lot more digitized. Even though no dates have been set for commercial release just yet, they are still hoping to launch each of these concepts in 2013. They feel as if the concept has come far enough to start planning a commercial release, which means our car dashboards could get a significant upgrade during this year.

With Audi’s new car OLED surface technology and this curved car dashboard innovation, cars could soon become as “technofied” like we are used to seeing cars in science fiction movies. It seems there is no shortage of innovation these days, and it’s good that cars finally get some attention and upgrades. The fact that these happen to be touchscreens and light surfaces is not a big mystery since everything on a car so far has pretty much been analog. But times change, and in the future, our cars will become as technologically enhanced as every other gadget we now own. Both the smartphone and tablet displays along with the car dashboard touchscreen are planned to be launched in 2013.

Japan’s New Car Dashboard Innovation