As automakers continue to pile on the features to their high-end offerings, the connection between human and machine gets increasingly complicated. BMW was one of the first automakers to tackle the issue of button/switch overload with iDrive, only to enrage and alienate reviewers and owners alike. Despite the difficulties with using a control knob, Audi, Mercedes, Infiniti, Honda and others have adopted the interface with varying degrees of success.
Now Audi is reportedly trying a different approach for the next generation A8 which may or may not debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. AutoBild reports that the A8 may add a touchpad to the mix with handwriting recognition. Presumably drivers will be able to write out the letters for an address on the touch pad rather than using a rotary dial to pick them out. While using the dial can be a clunky process, handwriting recognition could increase driver distraction even more than wart-manipulation.
[Source: Autobild]