Interview with Ralf Guido Herrtwich and Peter Häußermann

Mr. Häußermann and Mr. Herrtwich, which functions are performed by your two business units at Daimler Research & Development?

Herrtwich: In our view, telematics comprises three areas of application: media — in other words, all of the audio and video devices in the vehicle; communication, from simple telephoning to mobile Internet services; and finally, navigation, from the standard systems for guiding the vehicle to its destination to support for modern assistance systems through information from a digital map. In the advanced development teams we use our own research work, our observations of technological developments, and our contacts with suppliers and universities to come up with new functions in all three areas of application. We choose the new technologies that are appropriate for Mercedes-Benz, and we make sure that they can hold their own in a series-production project later on. At the same time, we examine the architectures of these systems. We ask questions such as: What components do they consist of? How are the functions distributed among the different components? How are the components networked with one another? Easy testability, flexible expandability, and a good price/performance ratio are only a few of the criteria we have to keep in mind as we go along. We pay particular attention to all of the components of the human-machine interface, because this is ultimately how we convey our functions to the user. The people who work in our teams must have not only a good sense of the innovations that customers really want to have, but also a good sense of judgment. That's because the main task of advanced developers is to separate the wheat from the chaff before the development phase has even begun.

Häußermann: The mission of development engineers is to build telematics systems that can stand up to the competition — that is, to prepare all systems related to multimedia, information, and communication within the vehicle promptly and at a high level of quality for installation in series-produced vehicles. Of course, that also includes the comprehensive management and regular enhancement of the functionality of these systems during the entire product lifecycle. In the past our standard activities included developing systems for Europe, the US, and Japan, but today we have also added China, Russia, and Korea as important independent high-volume markets. The large number of markets, the numerous suppliers that have to be coordinated, and the broad variety of functions result in an enormous degree of complexity, which we developers have to master. Of course we also have to safeguard these technologies by means of elaborate test processes all over the world. The keys to success are a highly motivated team, a module strategy that applies to all production series, and effective process and tool support.

Which projects are your business units working on together at the moment?

Herrtwich: Our work is currently focusing on the telematics for the future S-Class. We aim to set new standards with regard to functionality as well as visual appeal and ease of control — for all of the passengers rather than just for the driver.

Häußermann: Our work on the telematics for the future S-Class will be successful if this new generation of devices not only sets the standards for the S-Class but can also be rolled out for all model series. This is where we have to closely coordinate our work with the advanced development unit at a very early stage, so that we can design the concepts in such a way that they can also be implemented in small batch production in terms of costs and functions.

When we are using the new infotainment devices in our cars, just about every one of us wants to have simplicity combined with elegance. In your view, how important is it that the devices installed in the car can be easily controlled by the user?

Häußermann: With these devices, ease of control is the key to customer satisfaction. Customers want to simply get into the car and be able to control all of the devices immediately, intuitively, and logically, without having to listen to long explanations of how to use them. Putting all of the functions we can possibly implement into our vehicles would not be the right approach. Instead, we should concentrate on those devices that provide added value which a customer can actually experience. There are huge differences between the various markets as regards what these specific functions are and how they should be controlled. That's why one of the eight series production departments is working together with the design team and the advanced development team exclusively on the control and display concepts for our vehicles.

Herrtwich: Simple controls are important for yet another reason — because in this case simplicity also means safety. We want to reduce to a minimum the degree to which the driver is distracted by the telematics system, because there is nothing more important than driving the vehicle safely. We can already do a great deal to achieve this aim by choosing the right components, such as indicators and displays that are easy to read and switches that you can find without having to take your eyes from the road. For some of our customers, voice controls are the best option, because that allows them to keep both hands on the steering wheel. I'm amazed at the tremendous progress this technology has made in recent years, and at how reliably it functions today.

Does "ease of use" mean the same thing for all customers?

Häußermann: Unfortunately, it doesn't. There's a great range of individual habits when it comes to using the telematics in a vehicle. But there's one thing all users want: the basic functions have to be easy to find and use. There are also "power users," however, who want to use special functions and know how to deal with their complexities. The important thing is that the logical sequence of control functions can be easily understood by the customer and that the way the system behaves does not bring the customers any unpleasant surprises.

Herrtwich: In many cases, simplicity also means fulfilling the customer's expectations. When it comes to telematics, this is often not an easy task. For example, every telephone structures its menu differently. But once a certain type of control has won general acceptance, it's a good idea to adopt it. If iPods have a more than 70 percent share of the media players market, it's obvious that the control steps that their customers are used to should be copied in telematics systems.

New generations of telematics devices sometimes appear within just a few months of each other, while a vehicle model usually remains on the market for a few years before being upgraded. Does this difference cause a problem for you?

Häußermann: It's an ongoing conflict, of course, but we solve it by continually adapting our devices to the new developments in the years of change. A lot of this can be handled via the software, and we try to address those things that cannot be dealt with in this manner through interfaces to portable consumer devices and/or via accessories. Because it employs different development processes, Mercedes-Benz Accessories can bring the latest equipment additions to the market faster than we can.

Herrtwich: Once we've achieved the vision that Peter Häußermann mentioned before — of implementing the "component principle" for telematics systems that would enable a single system to be used in all model series — we will be able to develop new generations of systems independently of vehicle models, and thus keep pace with the telematics market. And as far as software alterations go, portable devices that in some cases weren't even on the market when we developed our system can only be linked to our equipment if we allow targeted software changes to be made that take into account the new functions offered by such devices.

And how do you deal with the overall challenge of keeping up with developments in the telematics sector?

Herrtwich: You have to keep your eyes and ears open for new developments in media technology, telecommunications, and information technology. Moreover, you need be vigilant in all regions, such as Europe, the U.S., and Japan, which has a tradition of developing many new telematics functions. Our location in Palo Alto is a big help to us because it maintains contact with the IT and electronics companies located in the area, and therefore learns about new market developments early on.

Häußermann: Most of our suppliers are Japanese companies, and all of them are active on the retrofitting market. They experiment with new equipment concepts and features at a very early stage, which enables them to obtain important information about customer acceptance and the level of advancement of new developments. We regularly exchange information with these firms, and this provides us with a very good idea of what direction technology developments will take in the future, and what the relevant market trends will be.

What do you believe to be the most exciting new developments and features today?

Herrtwich: The linking of telematics systems with driver assistance systems is one area where I expect to see a lot of exciting things happen in the future. Such systems can be made even more reliable and effective if they are supplemented by digital map data or information from communication systems based outside the vehicle. This would enhance vehicle safety and lower fuel consumption, making telematics systems an indispensable part of future vehicles.

Häußermann: What's really exciting for me is the development of portable terminals and the combination of telephone, multimedia, and navigation functions in a single cell phone, iPhone, or Ultra Mobile PC. It's going to be very exciting to see how these devices are integrated into vehicle systems. What we're seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. Here, we're also seeing creative momentum for operating concepts, which we will put to use in our systems as well.