Human-machine interfaces are software solutions that connect humans with machines through simple digital interfaces that are built for specific requirements. These interfaces range from simple push-button panels to sophisticated touchscreen displays and complex graphical user interfaces, each designed to minimise cognitive workload and maximise usability.
Growth Drivers | December 9, 2024
Leading the future of driving in a human-machine world
Building interfaces between humans and machines
As technologies and machines advance, they are taking on more and more essential functions in industry and everyday life. They’re becoming more connected, intuitive, flexible and capable of interacting with humans in new and useful ways.
And thanks to the growing popularity of human-machine interfaces (HMIs), human operators can interact with machines and systems more easily now—whether through tools used by doctors to better serve patients or as a bridge between workers and machinery on the manufacturing floor.
What makes modern HMI solutions especially useful is that they are designed for the specific task at hand, allowing users to provide input, receive feedback, monitor the state of the system and get instant access to the information they need to make decisions simply and quickly.
The right formula for leading the race
In the fast-paced world of motorsports, human ingenuity and machine precision are coming together like never before. It’s a sport where fractions of a second can make the difference between leading the race or being in the middle of the pack.
That’s why Scuderia Ferrari HP turned to human-machine interface systems to maximise performance on and off the racetrack.
“Today, our approach has completely changed,” explains Fred Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari HP Team Principal. “When we get on the track, we now know almost everything about the car after just 200 meters. This flow of information is crucial for performance because it’s the best way to adapt and to react quickly.”
To stay competitive, the Scuderia Ferrari HP team is always looking to transform how its drivers interact with their vehicles and take advantage of what modern technology systems have to offer.
The team needs the quickest, simplest and most intuitive way to make sense of the massive amount of data being gathered. They also need to build relevant connections that make it easy to exchange information without distracting from the driving experience at hand. This is the same goal that the team working on Ferrari sports cars is working towards.
“Our mantra is 'eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel,' especially when interacting with driving functions,” said Alessandro Tanzi, Ferrari’s head of Electrical & Electronics System Development. “This is fundamental for improving driving performance, as it's necessary to keep your hands on the steering wheel without being distracted by difficult and lengthy interactions.”
Having the right connections so the team — from Formula 1 or working to improve the iconic sports car — can work together across hundreds of activities at any given moment is just the start of the evolution to build competitive interfaces between the people making decisions, the machines that perform complex tasks and the intelligent software they run on.
Machines at every touchpoint
While onboard electronics, software and controls are a critical part of the Ferrari race car and road car experience, the true potential of smart HMI technology lies in its ability to harness data and seamlessly turn it into simple driver actions — even predicting what the driver may need.
By establishing seamless connectivity to cloud-based resources — as part of an approach called chip-to-cloud infrastructure — the vehicles can access vast amounts of data, perform complex computations, gain real-time insights into their surroundings, and make decisions based on the data they collect and process. This includes real-time insights into their surroundings, enabling faster response times, improved safety and predicting driver needs.
Olaf Preissner, Vice President of User Experience Design at DXC Luxoft, described how this chip-to-cloud integration can create a unique and innovative driving experience — both on the race track and on the road.
“Imagine a truly smart voice assistant becoming your co-driver,” Preissner said. “As well as navigating to your destination, you can talk, brainstorm ideas. It will totally change what you can get done on a car journey, changing the meaning of a journey altogether.”
Ferrari's latest sports car, the F167 and the F80 supercar are great examples of how an HMI-based infotainment system can enhance the driving experience by making the in-car dashboards simpler, more reliable and quicker than ever.
Revving into the future
To keep elevating the driving experience going forward, a flexible, platform-based approach makes it easier to quickly develop and embed new systems and applications while avoiding any redundancies.
In addition, intelligent solutions are expected to revolutionize human-machine interfaces in car applications by offering more intuitive interactions for drivers and for the people building and maintaining the car.
Capitalising on the full potential of smart HMI solutions goes beyond clever interfaces and computational capabilities. It requires an open infrastructure that can support next-generation applications and advanced data processing and an ecosystem of partners that drives innovation to work alongside Ferrari for success down the road.
“To deliver advanced solutions requires a new set of skills and a new way of thinking,” says Matthias Bauhammer, DXC Data & AI Europe automotive lead. “At an organisational level, it requires thinking end-to-end across different development departments, as well as bringing together the right teams at the right time.”
The big picture
As the world becomes increasingly connected and digitally driven, the automotive industry is experiencing a remarkable transformation as new technologies allow for a more direct flow of data and information between automobiles, drivers and the infrastructure that surrounds them.
In the fast-paced world of race-car driving, Ferrari represents an enduring symbol of innovation and performance, consistently pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
For this reason, it's not just about capitalising on current trends; it’s about betting on the future of HMI, intelligent solutions and other technologies. And technology partners like DXC Technology are committed to this.