Volkswagen Debuts Touchless Gesture Controls

Volkswagen R Touch concept car (Credit: Volkswagen)

With automakers contributing more to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that’s held in Las Vegas every year, the public gets an improved glimpse of advanced technologies before they arrive in production vehicles. Volkswagen showed off a number of technology features at the show, including new gesture controls that allow a driver to work the infotainment system without touching anything.

» Related: VW Issues Recalls for Nearly 38,000 Cars Due to a Fuel Leak

The revolutionary setup would make using future cars more intuitive for drivers. While a growing number of infotainment systems can be controlled using common touchscreen inputs like pinching, swiping, and tapping, they admittedly can be difficult to operate while driving down the road, especially when the surface isn’t entirely smooth.

According to VW, proximity sensors like the ones already used to detect when a person is about to contact a touchscreen will play a role in the new gesture controls. Cameras will also be used by the infotainment system to read a person’s gestures and react accordingly. Essentially, the driver gets to use a three-dimensional space inside the vehicle to control the infotainment system, instead of having to touch a two-dimensional screen.

To demonstrate how such a solution would work, Volkswagen brought along a Golf R Touch concept vehicle. The hatchback has three digital screens in it. One takes the place of a traditional gauge cluster, while the other two are located in the center stack. The two central screens can be also controlled through touch. Users can rearrange the icons, colors and other elements on the top screen in the center stack, called the Control Center, as well as the Active Information Display or digital gauge cluster, to suit their preferences just like they can on most tablets and smartphones on the market today.

What this means is that drivers will be able to set up their vehicle so that it works for their own personal tastes. This is excellent news for anyone who has ever struggled with a difficult-to-use infotainment system in a car, or who hates fiddling with tiny controls or temperamental on-screen buttons while also trying to pay attention to the road.