EPICNPOC Debuts BOWL Cockpit Experience Kit at CES 2023 with Neonode Touch Technology

The automotive industry took interiors to the next level at CES 2023. From VR to gaming consoles, innovative new features are turning car cabins into incredible experience arenas. Find out what the future life on board looks like and learn how to create your cockpit experiences better and faster.

CES is one of the most influential tech events in the world. Hosted every year under the illustrious glamour of the Las Vegas Strip, it provides a global stage for innovation, where developers, manufacturers, and suppliers of technology come together to showcase their latest breakthrough inventions and technological ideas across all aspects of the tech sector.

Like most years, there was a strong presence from the automotive industry on the showroom floor. Indeed, the automotive industry is a hotbed for innovation, with automakers, tier-one suppliers and technology providers voraciously competing for the limelight with advances in electric and autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), connected car technologies and more. OEMs used the hype of the show to unveil brand new concepts and vehicles, like Peugeot’s futuristic Inception and the RAM Revolution electric pickup.

This year, it was evident that interiors took center stage, as car manufacturers ambitiously strived to attract attention with the most awe-inspiring differentiators. One common theme that many exhibitors were doing the same, albeit in slightly different way: integrating traditionally non-automotive technologies into their vehicles.

Big Tech Partners with Automotive

With a lot of new partnerships between automakers and traditional big tech companies, technological convergence saw in-car entertainment being completely redefined. Cabins all over the showroom floor were transformed into futuristic experience arenas. Honda teamed up with Sony and together they showcased their first joint prototype vehicle, the Afeela, which leverages Unreal Engine to seamlessly integrate real and virtual worlds to create the next-generation of in-car entertainment, Nvidia announced partnerships with Hyundai Motor Group, Polestar and BYD showcased the integration of their cloud-based game-streaming platform, GeForce Now, into several internet-connected vehicles. And Mercedes-Benz targeted music lovers with the announcement about their new collaboration with Apple, boasting that the Mercedes-Maybach models are the first non-Apple devices to have Apple Music with Spatial Audio.

Photo credit: Consumer Technology Association.

Creating the Future Life On Board

While it is inspiring to see so many remarkable new vehicle interior experiences that aim to improve driver comfort and enjoyment, we know that not all ideas from the show will eventually end up in our driveways. But one company is making it easier to prototype future-life-onboard experiences with a powerful mix of technologies.

With EPICNPOC’s BOWL™ platform, carmakers can select from best-in-class modular hardware and use the cloud-based experience studio to quickly mix, match and configure new HMI features in the vehicle, such as graphical interfaces, voice controls, lighting features, ADAS, driver monitoring and more. The kit combines a truly vast array of hardware and software that have been seamlessly amalgamated, so new futuristic concepts can be rapidly created using one or more technologies from a menu of options. The output is simply limited by the imagination of the builder. Just imagine how hand or body gestures could be used for better in-car experiences, or how interactive holography could wow passengers, or how highly designed curvatures with interactive panels could amaze.

The no-code BOWL platform enables even non-technical project leaders to create new experiences using a designer mindset while ensuring engineering robustness. BOWL is already empowering many OEM and tier-one manufacturers like of Renault, Forvia, and Mothersons and as it continues to add new hardware and software features from many pre-selected partners, it is attracting more manufacturers who are racing to transform new ideas into a reality. Not only is it fast and fun, with reusable assets it has been proven to reduce downstream project time and cost by up to 70%.

Photo of Guillaume Becourt, Co-Found & Experience Designer, EPICNPOC at CES 2023

Create Digital Experiences Directly onto Wood, Glass or Fabric

At CES 2023, EPICNPOC showcased the BOWL technology in their configurable driving simulator – and with its ever-expanding hardware and software pool, it was announced that Neonode technology is now available and fully integrated into the BOWL automotive component library.

With Neonode’s Touch technology, designers have even more freedom when designing new concepts for the car’s interior. Trackpads and interactive surfaces no longer need to rely on LCDs or digital displays – by installing the Neonode plug-and-play Touch Sensor Module anywhere in the vehicle, manufacturers can use BOWL to configure any surface in the car to be completely interactive, such as wood, glass, carbon fiber or even Alcantara. This means that style no longer needs to be compromised when introducing new digital features into the cockpit.

Neonode's Interact on Wood Demo at CES 2023

Bringing a higher intelligence to sensor usage, Neonode Touch Sensor Modules uses light-reflective technology to detect touches on any material. Placed above a surface, the Touch Sensor Modules can also be used to create touchless experiences, where interaction can be detected in midair. With simple integration via USB or I2C transport, the sensor modules can be retrofitted or integrated into almost any application where end-users can then swipe, scroll, pinch, push and write – even without touching a thing.

Bertrand Stelandre, CEO EPICNPOC says “As it’s impossible to commercialize any feature or technology without prototyping it, Neonode brings a unique differentiator for smart surfaces: due to the split between surface and sensor, their product is the easiest to prototype and therefore the easiest to develop from the idea to the production for any surface”

About EPICNPOC

Create your smart product experiences better and faster with the tools you need to quickly turn your concept into an interactive prototype. Work with a team of design and software engineering experts that have supported concept cars and completed over 25 high-profile PoCs with global corporations, government and educational institutions. If you work on smart products that provide interaction and generate emotions, then jumpstart your future product experience today.

Visit epicnpoc.com.