TOUCHSCREEN HMI
to adding new functions, INTUSI
dispenses with these in favour of
a control system which structures
functionalities through its multitouch
iVTInternational.com June 2019
32
display, navigated either by
touching directly or using the
joystick. Similar to smartphone
logic, the short handling paths and
intuitive nature of INTUSI depends
upon the power of widgets.
“Widgets work in the same way
as a mobile phone weather app,”
explains Liebherr project engineer
Florian Mang. “There’s the basic
information on your start screen,
but to get a weather forecast, you
must go inside. With INTUSI, you
switch to a mode like parking,
working or driving, and get a
checklist of master operations.
The most important functionality
is shown and functionalities are
clustered, helping you to understand
the machinery.”
If, for example, you want to
change tools, the first functionality
is to activate the Quick Coupler,
which leads INTUSI to provide
further information about the tool.
As IoT devices, both tool and
machine actively provide
information relevant to the
operation; this could be used, for
instance, to adjust the digging
system. “Keypads are static, but with
a tablet you can react dynamically to
maintenance requirements or
environmental changes,” Mang
continues. “INTUSI is a concept;
now we want to ask people if it’s the
right future HMI solution.” Liebherr
is exploring the possibility of
moving from concept to in-house
production for its excavators and,
potentially, other vehicles (see
INTUSI: The Personal Touch for
more on the system’s key functions).
A new dawn
We are on the threshold of a new age
in the historical development of
industrial vehicle HMIs, according
to automotive experts. “Thirty years
ago, everything in these machines
was directly driven; the hydraulics
were directly driven by levers,”
explains Michael Jendis, executive
director of commercial vehicles and
HMI expert at Preh. “Then they
changed to electronic controls, but
today we will always have a lot of
ABOVE: The award-winning
INTUSI from Liebherr has
a touchscreen as its main
control interface
BELOW: Preh is bringing
touchscreens from its
commercial vehicle HMIs into
off-highway vehicles
“KEYPADS ARE
STATIC, BUT WITH
A TABLET YOU CAN
REACT DYNAMICALLY
TO MAINTENANCE
REQUIREMENTS OR
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGES”
Florian Mang, project engineer, Liebherr
/iVTInternational.com