Next S-Class to Receive Gesture-Based Controls
We all know the S-Class previews mainstream car technology of ten years in the future. Speaking to Auto Express, Mercedes chief interior designer, Jan Kaul spoke about the next S-Class and what the car’s technology will entail. Hint: you won’t need buttons.
Kaul said that Mercedes wants to move away from buttons and go to a gesture-based control unit, much like that of the Xbox Connect system. Essentially the car’s system would be able to be controlled by simple gestures and wouldn’t need an interface that has tactile buttons. The designer stated that Mercedes is always looking for the wow factor when it comes to its flagship nameplate.
Mercedes won’t completely do away with tactile buttons, but the company wants to push the envelope with the next S-Class, which will include the gesture-based controls and increased voice command controls.
Personally, while I love seeing the technology Mercedes comes up with for the S-Class, some of these little systems just strike me as “waiting to break” … like the new TFT dash in the S-Class. How much will that cost when it inevitably breaks? Hopefully Mercedes is working on how to extend the life of the electronics in the cars past the warranty dates, rather than just striving at how much cool tech they can throw at it.