“Sit back and relax” or “Brace yourself!” means prepare yourself for something difficult or unpleasant. But that is easier said than done, for most of us. Why is it so hard to control our minds? Many psychiatrists say that various physical and mental stress makes it harder for us to do so.
There are two different types of stress - positive and negative. When you listen to the radio, read a book, or exercise hard, you get to feel refreshed through ‘positive’ stress. But when you hurt your muscle from an injury, hurt your feeling from an argument with someone, or go through too much work, you feel ‘negative’ stress. And this makes you feel even more nervous and uptight, and it raises a chance to screw things up.
Car designing, sense of driving, and User Interface(UI) all have an impact on a sense of security.
Ancient Greek philosophers first tried to find ways for humans to control their minds. Then psychology became a distinct scientific discipline in the 19th century and related to all kinds of human aspects from society and economy to cultures and industries.
Auto industries have also conducted research with regards to the car designing, sense of driving, or User Interface(UI). But it always is a tricky part to know which part of a vehicle makes the passengers calm and relaxed, because you cannot measure the level of relaxation. A psychiatrist Yang JaeWoong from W-Jin Clinic and two auto columnists, Na YoonSeok and Ryu ChungHee talked about the effects of the car on human brains.
Coping with stress on the road is very important for safety, says Yang.
According to Dr. Yang, Anxiety Level has an impact on psychological security. “We become nervous and uptight when there is too much negative stress, but this also keeps us from getting bored too easily. We can enhance productivity through stress management, and this is why psychology is important to us.”
“And we can also maximize our driving skills when we feel ‘moderately’ comfortable in our car. Too much or too little stress can and will cause distraction in drivers”, says Dr. Yang.
Automotive Eye Candy for Visual Comfort
Creating an automotive eye candy promotes visual comfort.
Then which aspect of a car can make the driver relaxed and comfortable? Dr. Yang says, “Drivers feel visual comfort when buttons on the dashboard are organized neatly. So, making the interior an eye candy is very important for car designing.”
The dashboard pattern, overall layout, and information framework all affect visual comfort, said Ryu.
Columnist Ryu ChungHee added, “Interior design surely affects visual comfort. The dashboard pattern, overall layout, information framework, colors, etc., are included. Multimedia interface and even car seats do matter, too.”
The horizontal dashboard that the Genesis GV80 houses is an eye-candy.
Ryu also mentioned about the horizontal dashboards that are common in Hyundai cars. “Their models usually house horizontal dashboards displays so that passengers find them visually pleasing, just like Genesis GV80. Visibility really matters when the driver controls the dashboard and infotainment monitor. Hyundai Motor Group is good at this, I think.”
Dr. Yang also said, “Controls and displays should be grouped according to their functions especially for emergency occasions. This is very important for drivers.”
Visual comfort makes the passengers feel actually comfortable when they are sitting in a car. This is why interior designers focus on ergonomics, and use soft materials on the armrests and other parts people touch often.
Invisible Labor: Top-notch Convenience & ADAS
The Kia K5's new digital instrument cluster can shift themes and provide useful information smoothly.
Multimedia User Interface and User Experience affect a sense of security, too. “The Kia K5's new digital instrument cluster or Genesis GV80's quirky natural ambiance sounds all aim to achieve a sense of security. GV80's Genesis Integrated Controller is impressive as well. The electronic shift-by-wire dial sends a clear message that you did push the button.”, said Ryu.
Grandeur's air purification system contains a fine dust sensor that monitors the quality of the air inside the car in real-time.
Na added, “Grandeur's air purification system with a fine dust sensor that monitors the quality of the air inside the car in real-time, and Santa Fe's Rear Occupant Alert also increases a sense of security. These features become a bridge between the customers and the automaker.” Ryu said, “You can't recognize the technology when it's really good.”
HMG's brand-new Advanced Driver Assistance System(ADAS) indeed enhances a sense of security.
HMG's brand-new Advanced Driver Assistance System(ADAS) indeed enhances a sense of security. “The smoother ADAS works, the more comfortable the passengers get,” said Ryu, highlighting its importance.
Both Yang and Na agreed. Na shared his recent experience with the latest ADAS. “I was driving the Kia K5, and it smoothly avoided the car next to me and then got back to the lane. It all felt as if I was driving myself.”
A Sense of Security Comes From A Platform
Na talked about how driving performance and platform affect sense of security.
Na YoonSeok talked about the crashworthiness of HMG models. “We have to believe in our cars to build a sense of security. And safety is the source. This is why we are so obsessed with the safety test results. Everything about safety comes from one simple platform, and this is never an easy task to build a good one. Investing a huge amount of resource on this basic element would not be a smart move for an automaker, because this does not show well.”
The 3rd-generation platform shows better driving comfort.
Then how did HMG enhance driving comfort? “Through a stronger body frame, of course. The 7th-generation Sonata houses advanced platform and powertrain for greater driving comfort. It started to react to the driver's intention much better, although it may have gotten a little bit heavier. It shows more dynamic driving and better driving comfort, especially through the 3rd-generation platform released back in 2019”, said Na.
Driving comfort is one of the most important aspects of a car.
Cars are for going somewhere else, so the passenger comfort must be measured when the engine is on. “If a car successfully shuts road noise coming from outside, the passengers will feel comfortable enough to trust the car”, sais Ryu.
Dr. Yang agrees with him. “Driving comfort is one of the most important aspects of a car. We might feel extremely anxious when we cannot control the car we're driving. Humans tend to feel comfortable when they believe they can control everything around them. Good cars can make us do so.”
Passenger comfort and Driver comfort are equally important aspects.
Design, convenience, driving performance all affect passenger comfort. And HMG should focus on enhancing these aspects.
Ryu started to talk about passenger comfort in self-driving cars. “We no longer have to worry about driving in an autonomous car, and we can do something else in the car. Self-driving technologies, a spacious cabin, top-notch communication technologies will be needed when the day comes.”
Yang pointed out our desperate need for the cabin space for relaxation. “People these days are too much stressed out, lacking private space. Cars in the future could solve this problem.”
Hyundai Motor Group is trying to enhance passenger comfort even at this moment.
Hyundai Motor Group is trying to enhance passenger comfort even at this moment. And their effort is everywhere - from an eye-candy design, novel platforms for better crash protection, to an easy infotainment system.
Words. Lee SeHwan
Photograph. Choi Dae-il
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