Continental
Car display in transparent Swarovski crystal
Continental is presenting the Crystal Center Display at CES 2024. The world's first automotive display for premium vehicles that is fully integrated into a crystal opens up completely new possibilities for minimalist luxury interiors thanks to its frameless and semi-transparent look.
Illusion of a free-floating display
The 10-inch display is based on the latest MicroLED technology, which enables outstanding brightness and contrast values. The image-generating MicroLED panel is embedded in an artfully crafted crystal body, creating the illusion of a free-floating display of content. Continental developed this unique combination of automotive display and real crystal in collaboration with Swarovski Mobility. For this solution, the technology company Continental was recognized with the CES Innovation Award Honoree for outstanding product design.
»With the Crystal Center Display as a central element, we want to deliberately set ourselves apart from the familiar interior design in order to present a new and emotionalizing eye-catcher for future premium vehicles. We are moving away from the simple presentation of information towards a highly personalized user experience,« explains Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of Continental's User Experience (UX) business unit, at the presentation of the display.
Central eye-catcher in the vehicle interior
The three-dimensional crystal body with its facet cut specially developed by Swarovski Mobility underlines the elegant appearance of the Crystal Center Display at first glance. The extraordinary design of the central information display opens up new approaches for car designers in the interpretation of minimalist and at the same time luxurious interior concepts.
As the central element in the vehicle cockpit, the Crystal Center Display is the focal point of the operating concept and information display. The appearance of the control element blurs the boundaries between technology and intuitive interaction. The semi-transparent and free-floating display makes virtual assistance systems appear more natural and alive than ever before. The interaction between human and vehicle (the so-called human-machine interface) thus becomes the core element of an emotionalized brand experience.
The cooperation with Swarovski Mobility
In order to realize this unique combination of technology and aesthetics, Continental entered into a cooperation with Swarovski Mobility. During the collaboration, particular attention was paid to the volumetric crystal body, which is given its elegant facets using special cutting techniques.
The traditional Austrian company has succeeded in designing a filigree yet extremely robust crystal housing that meets the optical and technical requirements of the vehicle.
Advanced MicroLED display technology
A particular challenge for the engineers at Continental was to illuminate the colored crystal body with the display and combine it into a seamless unit. The displayed content creates the illusion of floating freely in the crystal. To achieve this, the Crystal Center Display uses advanced MicroLED technology.
MicroLED displays have self-illuminating pixels and offer significantly higher brightness and better contrast values than comparable technologies. With the next-generation screen technology installed in the Crystal Center Display, Continental shows where luxurious interior concepts of future vehicle generations are heading.
CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree for the Crystal Center Display
The symbiosis of premium crystal and future-oriented display technology impressed at the debut of the Crystal Center Display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas. The world first from Continental was therefore awarded the CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree in the Vehicle Technology and Advanced Mobility category. For the jury, the innovative and minimalist design in combination with the technical features was decisive in awarding the coveted prize.
