OEM&Lieferant Ausgabe 1/2019

112 With the push of a button, autopilot takes over control of the car and the steering wheel dis- appears into the dashboard. Now the vehicle user can decide how he or she wants to enjoy the ride. The vehicle interior is flexible: seats, screens and consoles slide and adapt to the desired use. Various modes for working, relax- ing, entertaining and for entering and exiting the car offer maximum comfort and flexibility. Brose already presented this vision of a dy- namic interior at the International Motor Show (IAA) in 2017 as the mechatronics specialist’s answer to one of the most interesting ques- tions right now in the industry: How will the new freedom when cars begin driving them- selves change users’ demands on the interior? The future-oriented “Brose Interior Experi- ence” exhibit generated great interest from car manufacturers. Since then the automotive supplier has continued to push forward with its strategy to become the preferred develop- ment partner of OEMs for innovative vehicle interiors. New adjustment systems for the interior The most obvious step is to expand the adjust- ment possibilities of seats: concealed guide rails for length adjustment, fold-out leg rests and retractable control elements in the arm- rest allow for new adjustment scenarios from a four-person meeting to a comfortable re- clining or working position. Brose will also expand its competence in mechatronics to the entire vehicle interior – including the center console, which will be very flexible in the future. It will divide, swivel, slide forward and backward, convert into a table or inte- grate an adjustable screen. The company has already received the first order in this new field: from 2020 Brose will supply the structure for a moving center console to a carmaker in North America. The supplier is also responsible for the motor devel- opment and the electronic anti-trap pro- tection. Innovative sensors The family-owned company’s exper- tise in electronics will play a key role in dynamic interiors: dozens of adjustment systems need to be linked and securely coor- dinated. Thanks to its more than 30 years of experience in the field of electronics, where it has around 600 employees and supplies over 75 million electronic systems and sensors an- nually, Brose can also take advantage of its expertise as a world market leader in mecha- tronic systems for doors and liftgates. And to meet the special safety requirements for flex- ible interiors, the supplier is partnering with sensor specialist Vayyar, which makes the 3D radar image sensors that Brose embeds in the Images/Graphics: © Brose Interior The interior of the future adapts to changing driving situations. New kinematics and additional adjustments allow maximum flexibility. From 2020, Brose will manufacture structures for moving center consoles. Ready for the next level By Sandro Scharlibbe, Executive Vice President Seat, Brose Group From specialist for power seat structures to system supplier of dynamic interiors: In preparation for the next stages of autonomous driving, automotive supplier Brose is expanding its expertise in interiors. The family-owned company is doing this in part through joint ventures and research partnerships. The combination of Brose expertise in the fields of vehicle interiors and vehicle access offers special added value for customers. electronics environment. In addition to an- ti-trap protection, precise interior monitoring adds functions such as anti-theft protection, gesture control or the ability to detect if chil- dren have been left in the vehicle – the latter could become a legal requirement in the very near future. Also, this eliminates previously needed components such as seat occupancy mats. Customers like this approach: several companies have already equipped test vehi- cles with the sensors.