Remote Touch is a vehicle interface system present in some

Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...

cars for use in conjunction with in-car information, configuration, and entertainment systems. The Remote Touch controller, which is similar to a

computer mouse A computer mouse (plural mice, sometimes mouses) is a hand-held pointing device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows a smooth c ...

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...

, allows the driver to operate an on-screen

cursor Cursor may refer to: * Cursor (user interface), an indicator used to show the current position for user interaction on a computer monitor or other display device * Cursor (databases), a control structure that enables traversal over the records in ...

on the vehicle's

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

navigation system screen. Remote Touch utilizes haptic feedback, where the controller provides reaction force, and

force feedback Haptic technology (also kinaesthetic communication or 3D touch) is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer ...

, where the on-screen cursor can move to nearby buttons automatically. System functions can be configured by the driver. Remote Touch was first introduced on the 2010 Lexus RX 350 and

Lexus RX 450h The is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX. Considered as the first ...

models, followed by the 2010

Lexus HS 250h The Lexus HS (Japanese: レクサス・HS, ''Rekusasu HS'') is a dedicated hybrid vehicle introduced by Lexus as a new compact executive car sedan in 2009. Built on the Toyota New MC platform, it is classified as a compact under Japanese regu ...

Background

Prior to the advent of Remote Touch, Lexus interiors were typically equipped with

touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...

interfaces. Although this system was regarded by many reviewers as easier to use than conventional rotary knob controllers, the need to place the touchscreen within easy reach limited design possibilities for the interior (by forcing placement of the screen in the center dash and in close proximity to the steering wheel). The enhanced technology trend in the automotive industry also resulted in a plethora of ever-increasing buttons and switches on many luxury vehicles. Remote Touch lexus profile

In response, several luxury brands had switched to rotary knob control devices, with the aim to simplify cabin layout and consolidate multiple controls with a single device. The BMW

iDrive iDrive is an in-car communications and entertainment system, used to control most secondary vehicle systems in late-model BMW cars. It was launched in 2001, first appearing in the E65 7 Series. The system unifies an array of functions under a si ...

, Audi MMI, and Mercedes-Benz

COMAND APS Cockpit Management and Data system - COMAND for short - acts as a combined command and control centre for all audio, telematics and telecommunications functions on Mercedes-Benz vehicles and includes a dedicated flat display screen. In addition to ...

interfaces operated using a circular center knob which can be rotated side to side, and pressed to select items, with the rotary knob scrolling through on-screen menus. Of these systems, some reviewers praised their ability to simplify the dash layout, while others levied criticism for reputed complexity and user difficulty, particularly with iDrive. In the mid 2000s, Lexus began developing an alternative to the touchscreen interface, in light of the latter's restrictions on interior styling and instrument panel configuration. Prototype development and consumer testing was conducted to develop a new control device. Consumer research conducted with Lexus supplier Denso corporation indicated that the prototype control system required no more mental or physical effort than a touchscreen, plus offered interior layouts with more screen visibility, was physically more comfortable to operate, and easier to use while in motion.

Design

Unveiled by Lexus at the 2008

Los Angeles Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual auto show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December. The LA Auto Show is an OICA sanctioned international exhibition. It is open to the public for ten days each year, filling of exhibit s ...

in November of that year, Remote Touch became Lexus' entry into the realm of non-touchscreen

human-machine interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fr ...

s. Introduced on the third generation

Lexus RX The is a luxury crossover SUV sold since 1998 by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Originally released in its home market of Japan in late 1997 as the Toyota Harrier, export sales began in March 1998 as the Lexus RX. Considered as the first ...

, the Remote Touch system differs from previous interfaces in being the first to use a computer mouse (or

trackball A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down ball mouse with an exposed protruding ball. Users roll the ball to position the on-s ...

)-based concept, instead of the rotary knob model. The system allows the operator to freely move the on-screen cursor across any part of the screen. The cursor replaces the role of the driver's hand on the previous touchscreen interface. Remote Touch is also the first vehicle interface to incorporate user-adjustable haptic feedback, and utilize movement in two spatial axes. The incorporation of haptic feedback, similar to the

Wii Remote The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...

, enables the driver to feel the placement of buttons and icons on the screen by touch. The use of force feedback enables the cursor to 'snap-to' buttons, making it easier to select buttons without precise movement. To ease drivers' transition to Remote Touch, the same on-screen layout and menus as the prior touchscreen-based system are used on models equipped with the new control system. The Remote Touch controller, which (including the directional input, buttons, and palmrest) measures in width x in length, and is tall, is placed at the base of the center console. Two large buttons (

Enter Enter or ENTER may refer to: * Enter key, on computer keyboards * Enter, Netherlands, a village * ''Enter'' (magazine), an American technology magazine for children 1983–1985 * ''Enter'' (Finnish magazine), a Finnish computer magazine * Enter ...

) on both sides of the controller at thumb level are used to select icons, along with three secondary buttons (

Map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

Scroll A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing. Structure A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...

, and

Display Display may refer to: Technology * Display device, output device for presenting information, including: ** Cathode ray tube, video display that provides a quality picture, but can be very heavy and deep ** Electronic visual display, output devi ...

). With the replacement of the touchscreen, the navigation screen is now recessed and placed closer to eye level on the dashboard. Remote Touch has two

motor An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

s and an encoder, with the motors programmed to reset the controller to a neutral position when the navigation system is activated. The introduction of Remote Touch on the 2010 Lexus RX was generally well received by reviewers, and the system was described as easier to use than rivals by

Autoblog A spam blog, also known as an auto blog or the neologism splog, is a blog which the author uses to promote affiliated websites, to increase the search engine rankings of associated sites or to simply sell links/ads. The purpose of a splog can be ...

, ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...

'',

Cars.com Cars.com is an automotive classified website focused on the United States that launched in June 1998 and now is the second largest automotive classified site. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. History A 2003 ''Library Journal' ...

CNET ''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...

, ''

Consumer Guide A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...

'',

Edmunds.com Edmunds.com Inc. (stylized as edmunds) is an American online resource for automotive inventory and information, including expert car reviews based on testing at the company's private facility. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Califor ...

, ''

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 19 ...

'', ''

PC Magazine ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present d ...

'', ''

Road & Track ''Road & Track'' (stylized as ''R&T'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines and is published 6 times per year. The editorial offices are located in New York, New York. History ''Road & Track'' (often ab ...

'', and '' Winding Road'', with ''Motor Trend'' predicting that competitors would adopt its design. However, the system remained a controversial interface for some drivers who found it difficult to use, as compared to the previous, Lexus-standard touchscreen. Remote Touch won ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

'' Technical Innovation Award, and was named ''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

s "Best of What's New" in Auto Tech for 2009.

Functions

The Remote Touch system can be used to control a host of vehicle functions, as listed below. Multiple functions can also be accessed via

voice command Speech recognition is an interdisciplinary subfield of computer science and computational linguistics that develops methodologies and technologies that enable the recognition and translation of spoken language into text by computers with the mai ...

s and for basic or commonly used items, such as stereo and climate control, via dedicated buttons. Lexus RX 350 450h front cabin

Audio system Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...

(DVD changer, radio) *

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

(telephone, phonebook) *

Climate control Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...

* GPS

satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...

Hard disk drive A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...

operation *

Hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

information display *

iPod The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...

mp3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...

player interface *

Lexus Enform is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...

(news, stocks, telematics; US) * Lexus Insider (owner news and information) * G-Book (telematics, maps, media; Japan, China) * Personalized vehicle settings (configure locks, lights, etc.) *

Safety Connect Safety Connect is a subscription-based telematics system introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation in 2009 for its Toyota-branded and Lexus models. The system provides communications, roadside assistance, car safety, remote diagnostics, and other s ...

(emergency services) * Setup for navigation, other systems * XM NavTraffic or XM NavWeather * Video entertainment system * Wide-View Front, Side, Backup cameras

Vehicles

Lexus models that have adopted the Remote Touch interface to date, listed by

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

: *2010

*2010

Lexus HS The Lexus HS (Japanese: レクサス・HS, ''Rekusasu HS'') is a dedicated hybrid vehicle introduced by Lexus as a new compact executive car sedan in 2009. Built on the Toyota New MC platform, it is classified as a compact under Japanese regu ...

*2011

Lexus GS The is an executive car sold by Lexus, the premium division of Toyota. The same car had been launched in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo in Japan. For non-Japanese markets, it was released as the Lexus GS in February 1993. It continued using the Toyo ...

*2011

Lexus CT The is a hybrid electric automobile produced by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota, as a premium compact hatchback. The CT, consisting of a single model called the CT 200h is a luxury hybrid based on the Toyota Prius drivetrain and Toyota MC pl ...

*2012

Lexus LFA The is a two-seat sports car manufactured by Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota. It is the second model in the Lexus F, F marque line of performance vehicles from Lexus, following the Lexus IS F, IS F, and also the first standalone Lexus ...

*2013

Lexus ES The is a series of mid-size executive cars marketed since 1989 by Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, across multiple generations, each offering V6 engines and a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. The first five generations of the ES used ...

*2014

Lexus IS The is a compact executive car sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota since 1999. The IS was originally sold under the nameplate in Japan from 1998 (the word ''Altezza'' is Italian for 'height' or 'highness'). The IS was introduced as an e ...

*2014

Lexus NX The is a compact luxury crossover SUV sold by Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota. Introduced in late 2014, it is positioned between the subcompact UX and the mid-size RX. The NX was proven to be well-received, as it was a sales success. It w ...

*2016

Lexus LX The is a full-size luxury SUV A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects bo ...

The 2010 RX Remote Touch system operates in conjunction with a forward dash-mounted display, along with

organic light-emitting diode An organic light-emitting diode (OLED or organic LED), also known as organic electroluminescent (organic EL) diode, is a light-emitting diode (LED) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound that emits light i ...

(OLED) instrument cluster and optional white

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...

heads-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD (), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view informa ...

(HUD), while the 2010 HS Remote Touch system uses a pop-up navigation screen along with the OLED display and optional HUD. As of 2009, the Lexus LS, GS, IS, ES sedans, SC and IS coupes, and the LX(until 2015) and GX sport utility vehicles use a touchscreen interface system, which in new models includes the same menu interface and layout as the Remote Touch-equipped models.

References

External links

Lexus.co.uk Remote Touch
(in English)

(in Japanese) {{Lexus cars Lexus Automotive technology tradenames Human–computer interaction