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X-Wave concept from Visteon/3M (2008): first pictures

By Adam Towler

First Official Pictures

02 June 2008 09:36

Want to see the future of the car cockpit? The X-Wave concept is a showcase for the latest thinking on vehicle interiors from automotive supplier Visteon and technology giant 3M. They’ve teamed up to fit out a BMW X5 – dubbed X-Wave – with new lighting and control interfaces that could revolutionise the look and operation of cars over the next few years.

Hang on – where have all the buttons gone? How do you get anything to work on this BMW X5?

All the buttons are there, you just can’t see them yet. The thin integrated centre panel, which at first appears to be a blank section of silver trim, contains all the usual controls, but only lights up when your hand approaches. You can arrange these controls as you wish, with the skin able to wrap over virtually any surface contour. And it even gives physical feedback when you select a function through a pre-programmed artificial vibration.

Click 'Next' below to read more about the Visteon/3M X-wave