Visteon's Future Vision Includes Knobs and Buttons That Respond to Inputs

from Edmunds.com:

>>VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Automotive supplier Visteon is exploring a new technology inspired by mobile phones that would cause electronics' controls to vibrate, click or push back as they're being used.

Known as TouchSense, the concept is based on haptic technology, in which controls offer tactile feedback as they're being manipulated. The technology has the potential to be used throughout a vehicle, from radio and climate controls to navigation screens. Research has shown that haptic feedback allows users to make quicker and more accurate adjustments. In automobiles, that could translate to fewer distractions and more time for drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

Visteon plans to commercialize TouchSense by 2010 and will show concepts of the TouchSense technology at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which takes place January 8-11.

Inside Line says: As in-car electronics become more complicated, technologies like haptic feedback are essential in keeping controls intuitive. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent