Touch Screen Car Stereos

Today, almost every car off the production line incorporates modern technologies, in order to appease the mass market. The demands and expectations, for recognisable, easy to use functionality, enhancing the overall in-car entertainment experience, are loud and clear.

  Since the 1990s, when cars began to integrate features (which we now take for granted) such as: electric windows, electric wing mirrors and heated seats, cars have continuously been evolving, to accommodate the technology of the times. However, because technology moves at a quicker rate, in comparison to how often we can afford a new car, many car owners get left behind the times. That is, until now. Thanks, to the rise of the smartphones, hand-held tablets and other like minded devices, the car stereo industry, and Xtrons in particular, have got up to speed with providing similar in-car solutions in the form of touch screen car stereos.    

What are Touch Screen Car Stereos?

  Touch screen car stereos can be in the form of an adapted single DIN or double DIN car stereo of old by taking their set dimensions but enhancing them with an interface, panel or screen, like the examples below.       The screens themselves can vary in size, and dimension, but do carry the latest specifications: HD readiness, crisp resolution and multi-touch functionality. Thus enabling a responsive, powerful and intuitive user interface which is easy to navigate at the tap, swipe or press of the screen.    

What is Touch Screen Technology?

  Without the name itself being too self explanatory, and despite this form of technology being around for some time, touch screen car stereos are a relatively new thing. In its simplest form, it works with a trackpad (or touchpad) like those found on laptops, but built in to a touch screen interface instead. Touch screen provides a swipe, tap and scroll function to allow a user to easily navigate and interact with a device. Multi-touch screen technology is a term coined to include the developments of pinching, zooming and selecting aspects of the interface to provide further flexibility, accessibility and seamless behaviour.    

How Does Multi-Touch Screen Technology Work?

  Without complicating the matter with too much scientific jargon, the key ways multi-touch screen technology works is through proven trackpad and touch-screen interfaces and softwares. Each one responds to, and measures, pressure. So, wherever pressure is applied, the electrical charge is disrupted and read by the on board computer. The message input is read and reacted to by the device’s software, providing the user with the action requested. The same sensitive pressure monitor applies when reading gestures such as swipes or flicks too. Commonly, this type of touch screen technology is known as ‘overlay based’. This is where the sensors are embedded into the screen. However, there are other forms such as ‘perimeter based’ sensors which use technology like infrared to determine actions. Beyond the screen, a device's software is essential to detecting the multi-touch activities. This can be broken down into these simplified stages:   Input Hardware Layer: This is where the information is gathered (the input of data). This is usually in the form of electric signals.   Hardware Extraction Layer: Here the input data is processed to create the image coordinates. For instance, the imprint of the finger on the screen, on that specific app’ or screen.   Transformation Layer: The data generated from the image coordinates is transformed to screen coordinates, mapping each stage.   Interpretation Layer: This is the part in which the technology determines, and recognises the sort of gesture (swipe, pinch, zoom etc) by acknowledging a start and end point to a motion or action.   Widget Layer: The final layer is the output of the gesture on the front end, showcasing it in a seamless and smooth way.    

The Benefits of Touch Screen Car Stereos

  Although there have been concerns that by providing better, quicker and more seamless access to applications on a device whilst driving could cause accidents, there are similar arguments stating that the new technology requires less effort that tuning a radio station, changing a CD or typing on a keyboard, for example. Other arguments of the benefits of touch screen car stereos can be dwindled down to speed, ease of use, familiarity, durability and reduced costs in manufacturing.    

Touch Screen Car Stereos at Xtrons

  Xtrons have a vast range of touch screen car stereos. Custom fit in a whole host of styles and sizes for a fleet of car makes and models, we’re sure there’ll be one to heighten the entertainment aspect of your car! The best way to see them in action would be to visit our YouTube page and subscribe.