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Ford engineers and designers created a
state-of-the-art 10-inch digital instrument display that features
text and race-inspired graphics intended to help reduce driver
distraction
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Digital display automatically reconfigures itself based on 5 unique
drive modes – from Normal to Track – to ensure the driver is getting
the most relevant information for their situation in an easy-to-read
format
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GT’s customizable digital instrument display technology will be shared
with other Ford vehicles
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DEARBORN, Mich. -- (Business Wire)
Like the glass cockpit in airplanes and race cars, the all-new Ford GT
features an all-digital instrument display in the car’s dashboard that
quickly and easily presents information to the driver, based on five
special driving modes.
This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006192/en/
Like the glass cockpit in airplanes and race cars, the all-new Ford GT features an all-digital instrument display in the car’s dashboard that quickly and easily presents information to the driver, based on five special driving modes. (Photo: Business Wire)
To view a video of the Ford GT all-digital instrument display, click
here.
The innovative 10-inch wide digital instrument display is far advanced
from the original Ford GT, when the cockpit was hardwired with a fixed
set of analog gauges, buttons and knobs across the dashboard that had to
address almost every situation.
“Driver focus and attention are key with such high performance,” said
Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance. “We’ve designed the GT
with a sleek digital instrument display that changes depending on
driving mode in ways that are important and usable to the driver.”
Ford engineers and designers created the state-of-the-art 10-inch wide
digital gauge cluster to be customizable, elegant, and able to tailor
information to each drive mode, to help ensure customers taking the Ford
GT to its limits are provided the data they need to make critical
decisions behind the wheel in the most efficient possible way.
Defining the visual future of in-car data
The Ford GT program presented a unique opportunity to reimagine the
instrument cluster, further expanding what a connected car can be and
previewing the future of Ford vehicles.
Its layout is designed around which data is most important, when to
present it, and how to show information in a way that’s most expedient
for a driver to process.
The design is executed on a high-resolution display that matches the
sleek, purpose-driven cabin. Data is conveyed in crisp, high-contrast
graphics.
To test the initial design, Le Mans winner Scott Maxwell of Multimatic®
was invited to the Ford GT simulation lab to offer feedback. Maxwell
suggested changing the tachometer to provide an expanded view of the
EcoBoost® V6 redline approach for greater peripheral
visibility. The race car driver also recommended tweaks to the
prioritization of performance information.
Getting every pixel perfect
As advanced design work transitioned to putting prototypes on the road,
Ford Performance reached out to suppliers at the cutting edge of data
display.
Ford designers and engineers worked closely with Pektron (for electronic
design, development, implementation and manufacture) and Conjure (for
graphical design) to create forward-looking renderings that are
painstakingly animated, include highlighted font, color and
responsiveness, and avoid driver distraction and eye strain.
The five drive modes are easily accessed through steering wheel-mounted
controls, to help keep eyes and attention on the road and hands on the
wheel.
Each mode presents information differently – prioritizing what is
crucial for each environment and tailoring the display to the given
context.
How information is graphically displayed with each drive mode:
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Normal mode displays information in a purposeful, businesslike manner.
The theme is simple; the speedometer is centered and bold, gear
selection is to the right, fuel and temperature are top left. The
hockey-stick-shaped tachometer displays in a compressed scale for
lower rpm, as the engine revs so quickly the lower counts mean almost
nothing to the driver. The 3,000-to-7,000-rpm range dominates the top
of the display
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Wet mode carries many of the same information concepts over from
normal mode, using a blue theme and a “wet floor” concept. Graphics
under the speedometer emulate the shine of wet asphalt to remind the
driver of the mode selection
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Sport mode adjusts information priorities. Front and center is gear
selection, with the speedometer off to the right and less prominent.
It’s displayed in an aggressive orange theme and is the preferred mode
for most test drivers
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Track mode presents a stark combination of black background and highly
legible text and graphics, in a crisp, red theme that’s easy for the
eye to pick up in a fast-paced environment. Gear selection and engine
speed are displayed prominently, while coolant temperature, oil
pressure, oil temperature and fuel level – rendered as a percentage
rather than miles to empty – are bottom right
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V-Max offers an entirely different display – purposeful and pared
down. Specifically tailored to pursuing maximum top speed, it displays
a large, centered speedometer, with tachometer reduced to just a line
with indicator dot for minimal distraction. Coolant temperature, oil
pressure, oil temperature and turbocharger boost are displayed to the
right, with fuel level displayed top left
“We spent an enormous amount of time getting this just right,” says Nick
Terzes, Ford GT engineering supervisor. “The result is simple, but
achieving simple perfectly can be a challenge.”
Joey Hand, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of Ford GT,
raved about the different drive modes recently on a visit to Las Vegas
Motor Speedway. “This is exactly what I want to see when I want to see
it,” he said. “You guys did a great job.”
Dashboard of the Future
GT isn’t the only Ford vehicle that will receive full digital instrument
display technology. This innovation is coming to other future Ford
vehicles – another example that Ford continues raising the performance
bar while ultimately improving vehicles for all of our customers.
For more information, visit www.FordGT.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford
Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company
based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 62 plants
worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing,
manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks
and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business
model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with
investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides
financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170111006192/en/
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company
Craig Von Essen
313.248.2335
cvonesse@ford.com
or
Deeptie
Sethi
313.378.0554
sdeeptie@ford.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
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