Automotive interfaces using an interactive armrest

Due to the rapid technological development of cars and their entertainment and infotainment systems, drivers are confronted with feature-rich interfaces that can become both confusing and distracting. Therefore, new ways of interaction between driver and car have to be developed in order to reduce driver distraction to a minimum. This is relevant to the safety of both the driver and road users surrounding him. In this thesis, gesture based interaction in the automotive is examined. The main focus is gestural interaction using capacitive sensors. In this area, an overview over related work is given. Challenges in developing a capacitive system for gesture based interaction in the automotive environment are presented and discussed. Afterwards, a model for a gesture-based input system using an augmented armrest is proposed. A prototypical system is implemented in order to test the possibilities and limitations of the proposed model. This system is then evaluated in order to test its general viability and to compare different kinds of gestures for interacting with in-car systems.