digitaldashboard
Latest
Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray comes with 8-inch customizable instrument cluster
One of the prettiest sights at this year's North American International Auto Show was the Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray, a bright red beauty that's just as attractive inside thanks to a brand new reconfigurable instrument cluster. According to Autoblog, behind the steering wheel is an eight-inch high resolution screen with one of three different layouts: sport, touring and race. Sport mode places the tachometer in the center, touring slips it to the side to make room for info like navigation directions and race displays the tach in a bold and colorful ascending bar graph. The modes can be configured to show all kinds of details, from G-force numbers to lap times. Of course, we've seen digital displays of this sort before, but Chevy's version is quite the visual treat all the same. If you're dying to get a look at the cluster for yourself, head over to the source for the video.
2013 Dodge Dart digital dash display hands-on (video)
Sure, we've seen digital instrument panels before, but the one outfitted for the upcoming Dodge Dart re-birth caught our eye. Instead of a regular ol' speedometer in the center of the driver side dash, you'll encounter a 7-inch instrument cluster that you'll be able to customize based on your specific auto info needs. This of course will be the second screen on the dash, as the vehicle will also feature Chrysler's 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system in the center. Just how useful is the new feature? We took it for a test drive of sorts, and hopped out with a few thoughts. First, the amount of information that can be delivered to the driver's screen was pretty comprehensive. You'll be able to check gas mileage / fuel economy, odometer details, tire pressure, burned out lights, follow the navigation system and sort out your music choices. The color and image quality were both great, something that gets overlooked from time to time with on-board vehicle screens. While some simple animations take place on the screen for things like driving directions, the folks at Dodge affirm that the monitor won't pose a distraction while you're on the road. For a look at the new display in action and a quick refresher on the Uconnect system, hit the gallery below or the video on the backside of the break.
Panasonic Cockpit digital dash prototype hands-on (video)
Sure, we may not see flying cars in our lifetime, but a mainstream digital dash is a definite possibility. The all-glass vehicle dashboard has been conceptualized by other manufacturers in the past, but this year it's Panasonic's turn to try its hand at building a multi-display system. The electronics maker brought its Cockpit prototype to the CEATEC floor, causing quite a stir among passersby. The dash itself was little more than a semi-functional mockup, presenting recorded rendered video on the main 20-inch LCD and dual 10.4-inch secondary displays. The main display's current objective appears to be improving safety, using a series of cameras to eliminate blind spots and alert drivers to other road hazards. Real-time driving stats are displayed atop a video feed, either from the rear camera (when in reverse), or one up front. We spent a few minutes behind the wheel of Panasonic's mockup, which consisted only of a pair of (rather comfortable) leather seats, along with a trio of LCDs, which the company claims are currently based on panels used in other Panasonic products, but may eventually utilize custom displays. This wasn't an actual vehicle prototype -- only the "cockpit" was on hand. The main display will (hopefully) focus the driver's attention away from distractions on those two smaller screens -- the one in the center can be used to control standard vehicle settings like climate and entertainment, while a second display positioned directly in front of the passenger seat can play movies and other content. Are we there yet? No, so you better get comfortable for the long drive ahead. Overall the setup looked like it could have potential, though Panasonic warned us not to expect anything final until the end of the decade (2018 at the earliest). Jump past the break for a Cockpit drive-by.%Gallery-135772%
