German tier 1 supplier Continental is showcasing its Crystal Center Display for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024 (CES 2024).
In a world-first, the premium automotive display is fully embedded in a stylish crystal housing, which the company says opens up completely new possibilities to integrate minimalist luxury into car interiors with its frameless and semi-transparent look. The 10-inch display is based on the latest microLED technology that enables unprecedented levels of brightness and contrast. The image-generating microLED panel is suspended in an artfully composed crystal body, creating the illusion that the content displayed is floating.
The unique combination of the automotive display and real crystal was developed in collaboration with Swarovski Mobility. For this solution, the technology company Continental was honoured with a CES Innovation Award Honoree for outstanding product design.
Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of the User Experience (UX) business area at Continental said, “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. We are moving away from the straightforward display of information and elevating it to a highly personalised user experience.”
The three-dimensional crystal form turns heads with its unique facet cut developed in-house by Swarovski Mobility and underlines the elegant appearance of the Crystal Center Display.
The display as the key control element is at the heart of the operating concept and information playback. Its innovative design blurs the boundaries between technology and intuitive interaction, as the semi-transparent and floating display brings in-car virtual assistance systems to life in a way that has never been seen before. This puts interaction between human and vehicle (the so-called human-machine interface) at the heart of an emotionalised brand experience.
The partners particularly focussed on the volumetric crystal panel, which features distinctive faceting created using special grinding techniques. The experts at the traditional Austrian company succeeded in conceiving a delicate yet extremely durable crystal housing that meets the optical and technical challenges of in-vehicle use. The tinted crystal element, striking and transparent, allows the driver and passengers to see right through to the centre console behind it. The elegant overall look underscores the unique character and design.
Peter Widmann, SVP B2B and MD at Swarovski Mobility said, “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. 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.”
