Is the world’s flashiest infotainment screen?
Continental has used this year’s CES tech show in Las Vegas to reveal what it claims to be a “world-first” infotainment screen that’s semi-transparent, and is completely made out of Swarovski crystal.
The German automotive technology and software company, which most notably also produces tyres, partnered with Swarovski Mobility in order to create this so-called Crystal Center Display.
The unit on display at this year’s CES tech show measures in at 10 inches and features “the latest microLED technology” that’s claims to offer “unprecedented levels of brightness and contrast”.
The Swarovski crystral display is frameless and tinted. It creates an illusion that the content being displayed is floating, and also allows the driver and passengers to see right through to the dashboard behind it.
At this stage it’s unclear if this Swarovski crystal infotainment screen is capable of capacitive-touch functionality, nor when it will be implemented into a production car.
“With the Crystal Center Display as a key component, we want to turn the world of interior design on its head and create an innovative focal point for premium vehicles of the future – one that grabs attention and stirs emotions,” said Continental head of the user experience business area Dr Boris Mergell.
“We are moving away from the straightforward display of information and elevating it to a highly personalised user experience.”
“The Crystal Center Display is the result of a combination of production and process technologies which together with Continental we implemented into an innovative new design element – one that is as impressive visually as it is technically,” said Swarovski Mobility senior vice president B2B and managing director Peter Widmann.
“In this way, our crystal becomes much more than just an interior design element – users experience it as a key interaction interface in the vehicle.”
Would you like to have this kind of infotainment screen in your new car? Let us know in the comments below.