University of Kansas Researchers Develop Smart Dashboards

University of Kansas researchers are developing new, smarter dashboard displays to keep drivers’ eyes on the road.

The effort includes researchers in design, mechanical engineering and psychology. They are working under the umbrella of the Center for Design Research.

Center director Greg Thomas says automakers are adding more bells and whistles to dashboards that don’t adjust for different drivers or conditions.

He says the failure to integrate all components into a customizable, easy-to-read and ergonomic console creates safety issues.

That’s what his group is trying to address with smart dashboards.

He says a smarter dashboard could feature a gas tank gauge that gets larger and brighter as the fuel level dips. The speedometer could change colors if the driver was going too fast or too slow.