Pioneer Smart Car Cockpit Concept includes biometric sensors and HUD

The modern car is already decked out with a variety of technologies, some intended to make driving safer, others that make it more luxurious. Pioneer's Smart Car Cockpit Concept, which it has demonstrated here at CEATEC 2013, is a combination of both, offering a plethora of features that span the range from safety to convenience, including a HUD on the windshield and biometric sensors in the steering wheel.

The Smart Car Cockpit Concept features an In-Vehicle Infotainment system, better known as an IVI, and works in conjunction with a smartphone. There is a slot in the cockpit system for the smartphone to be placed, which is equipped with wireless charging for those who have devices that support it. Working in conjunction with the system, drivers will see information on a HUD on the front driver's window, while sensors will display information on a different panel located in the back of the seat.

The steering wheel is equipped with biometric sensors, allowing the Smart Car Cockpit to zero in on some of the driver's vital signs, such as heart rate. The system is also designed to check the driver's eye sight, as well as monitoring eye movements. Whether the information is for the driver's benefit or will be part of a larger system isn't known, but the functionality is there regardless.

The system displays navigational information for the driver, including guides like directional arrows and information about the timing of traffic signals, making both navigation and speed optimal by taking distraction and estimation out of the picture. There is also an alert for blind spots, and a speaker that sounds a warning when necessary.