Article Abstracts | February 2007
The complete article appears in the February 2007 issue of Photonics Spectra. If you do not have a copy of this issue,
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The Importance of Color in Delivering Information
PDA-like displays and signal LEDs may soon change instrument cluster
appearance and enhance safety.
by Dr. Vyacheslav Birman and Igor Pospelov, Siemens VDO Automotive
Advancements in lighting sources and display technologies have enabled the development of new PDA-size automotive instrument clusters. In a space of just 3 to 4 inches, graphical symbols and different colors provide the driver with a range of information on vehicle conditions including speed, revolutions per minute, gas level, temperature and mileage as well as information on radio stations, incoming phone numbers and directions.
In one prototype under development, warning lights are located in the center portion of the display. A full gas tank is indicated by green lighting at the top of the gauge, which slowly changes to red as the level drops, so the driver can quickly see when it’s time to refuel. To signify that the engine is cold, the entire temperature gauge appears as blue. The area required to present this information is five to seven times smaller than currently used clusters, saving automotive designers valuable space while still communicating important information...
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