In the automotive industry, electric vehicles are currently too heavy. Therefore, there is an effort to reduce this overall weight while maintaining or even increasing comfort. The goal of this project is the design and development of smart laminated dashboards, with the simultaneous reduction of plastic components and haptic plastic buttons and controls. This will enable the activation or adjustment of various functions (e.g., seat adjustment) through gestures. This is achieved by making the surfaces in the vehicle itself “smarter,” thereby allowing for a new interaction experience.

In this project, we now distinguish between two approaches that will be further explored in the Smart Cover Interfaces project:

• Smart 3D textiles using spacer knits, where the “smart” thread, in combination with the knit, offers new interaction possibilities.
• Deposition of precious metals on an existing layer-based textile.

A holistic approach is pursued in this project, meaning that, in addition to the design and exploration of the sensors, there is also work on the prototypical implementation of the new smart components, as well as the development of the corresponding hardware and software components.