The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is always a fount of jaw-dropping new technology, from robots and foldable TVs to the latest smart home devices and even food. Automakers and suppliers have come to CES in recent years with everything from actual new car reveals to more over-arching tech announcements, but a lot of the time it’s pretty boring stuff, especially for the everyday enthusiast. But this year Continental has unveiled a new transparent in-car display that could revolutionize automotive interior design.
Called the Crystal Center Display, the screen was jointly developed by Continental and Swarovski Mobility. An Austrian brand that has been around since 1895, Swarvoski is one of the largest crystal producers in the world, and it already has a presence in the automotive world. The old Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe had Swarovski crystals in the LED headlights, and a number of new BMWs are offered with headlights and interior accents like seat and iDrive controls made from Swarovski crystal.
The 10-inch Crystal Center Display utilizes microLED tech that Continental says “enables unprecedented levels of brightness and contrast.” The actual microLED panel is suspended inside the three-dimensional crystal body, which gives the displayed content the illusion of floating, and “self-illuminating pixels” mean the screen is able to be transparent while still providing a clear image. The crystal surround utilizes special grinding techniques to achieve the faceted look, and Swarovski says it is “delicate yet extremely durable.”
One of the biggest new-car complaints I hear in person and see in comments or on social media is about how car interiors these days are just a big screen in the middle with nothing else. I truly could write a long-ass diatribe about how much that sentiment bothers me, but for your sakes I won’t. I think that current screen tech actually allows for designers to have more freedom with interior design – you no longer need to clunkily fit a display and housing in the center of the dash, instead being able to create more interesting designs with freestanding displays on top.
Recent examples like the curved displays in the Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air and the seamless, dashboard-spanning screens of the Cadillac Celestiq are already showing what’s possible as technology improves. Continental imagines the Crystal Center Display would be especially appealing for minimalist luxury car interiors, but I think a transparent screen would be a boon to all sorts of different types of vehicles. In addition to potentially improving visibility and addressing driver distraction concerns, this tech could make cabins feel and look even more futuristic
Dr. Boris Mergell, Continental’s head of User Experience, had this to say about the display’s potential:
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.
While Continental and Swarovski haven’t said anything about the Crystal Center Display’s production potential, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to me – and Swarovski starting its own Mobility division seems like a good sign that the brand will continue to develop new automotive applications for its crystals.
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