Redefining Interaction With Cars, Nissan Introduces The New Ariya!

The designers and engineers of Nissan’s new electric crossover, the Ariya, were determined to bring in a new look and feel for the controls of the model. Designed to be an open and spacious cabin, the dashboard of the Ariya comes free of traditional buttons!

Following that, the haptic feedback buttons in the vehicle communicate through fingertip vibrations as the Ariya reacts to touch. In regards to this, drivers will get to interact with a familiar set of icons when adjusting climate controls and drive modes on the vehicle.

This way, drivers can remain focused on the road as the points of interaction are felt and heard.

In addition to that, the design team also chose to integrate haptic feedback into the Ariya speaks to the vehicle’s underlying design concept of Timeless Japanese Futurism.

“We created a clean space by blending the haptic controls with the grain of the interior’s wood grain finish. We did this in a way that didn’t affect the performance of the controls, allowing us to achieve both functionality and an attractive appearance,” said Senior Designer Hideki Tago.

“By applying a wood grain pattern to the plastic panels with a hydro-printing process, we gave them a very realistic wood-like feeling. At the same time, this allowed transparent icons to come to life when illuminated.”

The team started off the process with an exhaustive breakdown of the technology. Haptic feedback buttons sit on the main dashboard, as well as on the adjustable centre armrest.

For even more convenience, the electrostatic buttons are bigger and more broadly spaced than the traditional haptic controls. With this, a kind of air pressure “kick” is generated that allows a more realistic and intuitive feeling for drivers.

“Vibration and sound are inseparable. It may seem obvious, but this challenged our team to develop a unique sound that would match the expectations of the driver while also designing it to be as pleasant as possible,” explained the engineer in charge of the Ariya’s interior HMI development, Tomotaka Igarashi.

For the development of the haptic controls, the teams had to carry out repeated tests to ensure that it is easy to use for a wide range of drivers. To achieve this, they had to conduct extensive tests with people of different size fingers and fingernail lengths, as well as with different button-pressure strengths and engagement angles. To ensure button activation, gloved hands were also tested.