Potential functional user needs have become more valuable and difficult to satisfy as the problem of homogenization of intelligent cockpit (IC) functions has intensified.
Objective
To address the mismatch between IC market offerings and user demands for personalized functions, this study constructed an empirically validated functional hierarchy model for IC design optimization.
Methods
Thirty-one functional requirements were identified by combining with data on shortcomings in market-installed IC functions through comprehensive analyses of 31 IC products and data collected via web crawlers along with semi-structured interviews with 12 automotive ergonomics experts (mean experience = 11.5 years). These requirements were reduced to five key categories using principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation by varimax rotation (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure = 0.922, Bartlett's sphericity p < 0.001). Functional weights were evaluated via the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with a consistency ratio (CR < 0.1).
Results
The intelligent interconnection mode emerged as the highest-priority category (global weight = 0.4225), with head unit functions significantly outperforming other functions (M = 0.1573, p < 0.01). Despite high consumer demand, the sentinel mode showed a low installation rate (20%) in the Chinese market. The phone-vehicle interconnectivity mode was considered the least essential (priority number 5).
Conclusion
The model quantified functional priorities using human-centered metrics, reconciling technical feasibility with user expectations.
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