NARROWING THE GAP BETWEEN CAR AND COMPUTER

+ Click to Enlarge WORKS LIKE A COMPUTER MOUSE: This graphic shows the functions of the Lexus RX450h's Remote Touch control.

April 30, 2009

Increasingly sophisticated in-car entertainment, navigation and information systems are among the must-have features of a car such as the Lexus RX 450h hybrid SUV - due in South Africa in mid-2009 - but adjusting and monitoring their functions can risk taking a driver's attention away from the road ahead.

It has to have a centralised control system that's simple to understand, intuitive to use and likely to cause the least distraction from driving.

Lexus' Remote Touch system works just like a computer mouse. It allows more functions to be selected and adjusted than a touch-screen system and presents information on a display at a more user-friendly height and reading distance from the driver.

The six-button control is on the centre console below the gear shift and linked to a 200mm colour display screen in a recessed housing on the top of the centre stack.

It's an integral part of the satnav and also controls audio, aircon, phone and set-up functions.

Moving the controller moves a pointer left or right over icons on the screen. The system also automatically "pulls" the pointer to an icon if it passes close to it. Then the user presses the Enter button – like the left-click action on a mouse – to activate the function.

The "mouse" can be set up to suit personal preferences for the sounds the system makes, the reaction force strength and the shape and size of the pointer.

The system will be standard on the top models of the RX450h and an extra-cost option on the rest, says Lexus SA.