The "Mechatronic" car

Mechatronic means "a mechanical system with electronic controls." Check out this mechanical system with its incredible electronic controls!

With its 70 innovations and 61 patent applications, the Z22 concept car contains innovations that will revolutionize automobile technology in the years to come.

Operating the Z22

First presented in the Z9 at the Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) in 1999, the Man-Machine-Interface (MMI) is used to operate the vehicle.

Like the Z9, the Z22 does not have conventional combination instruments. Key driving information is projected on a "heads up display" on the windshield. The display includes speed, driving level, warning lights, level indicators, and navigational aids. The focal point gives the driver a virtual image 7.5 feet in front of the vehicle. 

	The Z22 only has a center monitor in addition to the rear view mirror monitor and heads up display.  In place of today's gearshift, the Z22 has a specially shaped, multifunction steering wheel and a central operator control element.

The central MMI is composed of a six-position rotary switch and a keypad.

• To start the engine, the driver places his finger on the rotary switch. 

• Using fingerprint recognition, the onboard computer determines if the driver is authorized to operate the vehicle. 

• The driver then uses the rotary switch to start the engine and select the program for the CVT drive. 

• The keypad behind the rotary switch contains keys for the parking brake, four-way flashers with an integrated emergency call function, volume control, central locking, and window controls, including the ability to childproof the doors and windows.

On the multifunctional steering wheel, there are push buttons to do the following: change gears,  use the cruise control,  beep the horn,  set the foot pedals, and  adjust the heads up display.  By not having a steering column, the foot pedal mechanism can be displaced lengthways by 2.4 inches, which results in even better adjustments to the seat position.

The Z22 uses cameras instead of mirrors. Cameras have replaced the two exterior mirrors and the interior rear-view mirror. Using image processing, a single panoramic image is created out of the three individual images. The image is then displayed on an 8"x3" monitor, located in the place of the interior rear-view mirror. The image totally eliminates the blind spot.

[More]