Controlling the car of the future with Novares

The client

Global plastic solutions provider Novares designs and manufactures complex components and systems serving the future of the automotive industry. The company specialises in cutting edge automotive solutions for cleaner, lighter, connected cars with intelligent, intuitive interfaces. 

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The brief

After the success of Nova Car #1, Novares wanted to showcase its open innovation lab Nova Car #2 to a worldwide audience. TG0 was selected among 25 high-potential start-ups to work with on a ‘paving the future’ concept car that customers could see, touch and experience. TG0 was tasked with demonstrating how touch technology could translate into superior, more intuitive customer experiences.

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The project

Novares asked TG0 to integrate its revolutionary gesture, pressure and touch sensing technology into the Nova Car #2 interior. Following an exacting brief, TG0 created two ‘squeeze command’ door handles to control multiple functions. Driven by AI and advanced signal processing algorithms, this patented technology detected touch pressure and location without conventional metallic sensor networks, meaning passengers could control multiple functions without the need for buttons.

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How it was done

The project had a hard stop deadline of June 2019, when the Nova Car #2 was due to go on a tour of Europe, North America and Asia. In just six months, TG0 took the project from idea to full integration.

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• The team explored materials for aesthetics, safety and conductive properties, before settling on a conductive PPA material with a non-conductive silicon surround.
• The prototype was designed in the UK and injection moulded to an agreed design in China.
• Each door handle had three functions: 

• a trackpad for a wing mirror adjustment / or multimedia control
• a push / pull node for window control 
• a trigger for door opening.

• The TG0 project-lead conducted all meetings and calls in the clients’ native language (French).
• All project milestones were met, including a matched CAN protocol and third party mechanical integration.

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The results

• Two functional, flexible and aesthetically pleasing door handles were integrated into the Nova Car #2.
• Dynamically-assigned functionality allowed Novares to assign new functionality without altering the physical door handles.
• Convinced by the work, Novares signed a new Joint Development Agreement with TG0 at the unveiling of the Nova Car #2 in Paris.