CeNTI -
An innovative, interactive car door panel integrating cutting-edge technologies and futuristic design
Revolutionise the automotive industry with an innovative door panel and provide users with new sensory experiences while driving were the main objetives of the FDPanel Project - Future Door Panel.
As part of the research, which included CeNTI’s participation, five innovative and futuristic car interior door panels were developed, focused on intuitive Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), and integrating differentiating technologies in terms of intrinsic architecture (UX/UI design), decorative elements, and surface sensing and functionalisation.
The Project consortium, led by the Portuguese company Simoldes Plásticos S.A., aimed to create solutions that enhance the user experience, anticipate market trends, and optimise manufacturing processes.
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The innovation factor
By incorporating advanced materials and disruptive technologies, the solutions developed offer the following features/functionalities:
• Comfort - Coatings with thermal management properties that promote user well-being;
• Lighting - Both functional and decorative: backlighting for nighttime visibility, illuminated faux stitching, and LED matrices;
• Interaction - Sensor technology with touch detection and haptic feedback (vibration) integrated into polymer surfaces, replacing traditional mechanical buttons with tactile ones.
• Sound - Miniaturised acoustic solutions (speakers)
Additionally, the Project also enabled the development of solutions that improve the efficiency of door panel manufacturing, such as:
• Lightweight and security - Reducing the door panel weight without compromising impact resistance in collision scenarios;
• Efficiency - Decreasing average assembly time by reducing the number of panel fastenings;
• Flexibility - Increasing assembly process flexibility compared with a single-piece flow model.
These results demonstrate that the future of the automotive industry lies in the combination of technological innovation with the evolving demands and needs of a market increasingly focused on comfort, digitalisation, efficiency and sustainability.
This Project was supported by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020, and the European Union.