Most automotive enthusiasts, including me, are annoyed with the cookie-cutter design approach of the infotainment screens found in the current crop of cars. They all look the same – a slab of big screen either floating above the dashboard or placed inside the center console. It seems as if car manufacturers are not interested in putting in enough effort to experiment with this very crucial car feature, except for making it bigger in size. However, Continental has showcased a new infotainment screen concept at the 2024 CES, which could bring in the much-needed change we’ve been waiting for in automotive interior design. Behold the Crystal Center Display, a stunning see-through infotainment display developed by the German band in collaboration with Swarovski. Yes, you read that right; it’s the same Austrian brand that’s known for making beautiful glass-based jewelry and decorative items.
Almost a decade ago, Mercedes introduced the 2015 S-Class Coupe that came with optional LED headlights featuring 47 Swarovski crystals fitted into each unit. Several years ago, we even saw a Russian influencer decorate her Mercedes CLS 350 with hundreds of thousands of tiny Swarovski crystals to turn her two-door into an attention magnet. However, most people don’t know that the Austrian brand has an entire division called Swarovski Mobility, which is dedicated to automotive products, and the semi-transparent display is its innovation.
Cited as one of the CES Innovation Award Honorees for outstanding product design, the Crystal Center Display is a futuristic-looking piece of technology that features a 10-inch display embedded in a crystal housing. “With the Crystal Center Display as a key component, we want to turn the world of interior design on its head and create an innovative focal point for premium vehicles of the future – one that grabs attention and stirs emotions. We are moving away from the straightforward display of information and elevating it to a highly personalized user experience,” said Dr. Boris Mergell, head of Continental’s User Experience (UX) business.
The slightly tinted display gets a frameless design and utilizes MicroLEDs for the projection of information. The self-illuminating pixels allow the screen to be transparent while being brighter and legible. Since the screen is semi-transparent and has a floating design, the occupants can admire the dash behind the screen without any interruption. “The Crystal Center Display is the result of a combination of production and process technologies which together with Continental we implemented into an innovative new design element—one that is as impressive visually as it is technically,” said Peter Widmann, senior vice president B2B and managing director at Swarovski Mobility in a press release. “In this way, our crystal becomes much more than just an interior design element—users experience it as a key interaction interface in the vehicle.” We hope this innovative display soon transitions from the conceptual phase and makes its way into production cars.
