Auto shows turn heads for Reed City company – Innovation Driving the Future of Solid State Touchscreens
This image shows the display a driver would see behind the steering wheel. The technology is the same as that used in the iPhone and is patented by Ascencioné of Reed City. The instruments are located behind a thick piece of glass or plastic, and the driver and passenger can use them as a touchscreen.
How Ascencioné’s Smart Touch Systems Transform the Digital Instrument Panel
REED CITY – Imagine a vehicle interior without buttons, knobs, or levers. A cockpit molded from sculptured surfaces where every function is controlled through a smooth, responsive touchscreen powered by the same patented technology used in the iPhone.
Ascencioné, the long-standing Reed City innovator, is bringing that vision to life. Following a wave of excitement at the Detroit Auto Show, the company’s Smart Touch® and iQ Power™ solid state touchscreen systems are now attracting global attention at the New York Auto Show.
From Detroit to New York Auto Shows – Automotive UX Innovation Gains Momentum
Ascencioné founder Norm Rautiola said the interest stems from the breakthrough potential of the company’s automotive HMI technology. Using advanced MPA multi-point activation, capacitive sensing, and proprietary Smart Touch systems, drivers and passengers can interact with a fully digital instrument panel positioned behind a thick, protective layer of glass or plastic. As a user approaches the surface, the system illuminates the interface, enabling effortless control with simple gestures or finger flicks.
Capacitive Touch Interfaces Bring Luxury and Cost Savings to Automakers
“It’s an iPhone for your car,” Rautiola said. “Ascencioné owns the patents behind the solid state touchscreen technology that enables this kind of design freedom and functionality.”
Where traditional dashboards once held cluttered clusters of switches and gauges, Ascencioné replaces them with a sleek, button-free cockpit design. When a driver touches the digital display to raise or lower the windows, the system responds instantly. With nothing protruding, rattling, or breaking up the sculptured interior shape, designers gain unprecedented freedom to create smooth, flowing lines.
This next-generation digital instrument panel not only elevates luxury but also reduces cost. With more than two decades of leadership in capacitive touch interface engineering, Ascencioné’s solutions significantly reduce driver distraction, improve reliability, and provide intuitive touchscreen control of climate, media, navigation, and vehicle functions.
Interest in Ascencioné’s technology has rapidly expanded. Early installations in Chrysler’s auto show vehicles demonstrated the dramatic potential of a fully integrated touchscreen interior. Once unveiled, the Reed City company began receiving requests from more automakers seeking its expertise.
Gesture-Based Controls and Multi-Point Activation Redefine Vehicle HMI
“What that means is some exciting things are happening up here in the north,” Rautiola said. “We’re not sure how far this will go, but it’s going to keep rolling.”
Ascencioné continues to push automotive UX innovation, offering luxury at a cost advantage and setting a new standard where gesture-based controls, solid-state touchscreens, and multi-point activation define the future of vehicle design.
