Multifunctional displays are a way to limit the flood of information in the cockpit of a vehicle. They combine several types of information in one display element, which requires programmable display units. These are available in modern vehicles and increasingly replace classic hardware instruments.
The first experiments to test multifunction displays were carried out with trucks.
Note for readers whose experience is limited to cars: The ratio between the engine power (kW) and the weight of trucks is very different from that of cars. It is approximately 1:10, which means that the engine power of a car in relation to its overall weight is greater by a factor of 10 when compared to a truck. Selecting the correct gear (12 forward and 2 reverse gears) is thus particularly important for driving in the optimum torque range.
The purpose of the test was to show to what extent this is possible with multifunctional displays that combine shift indicator and rev counter.
Literature
Popp, Michael M.: "Verdichtete Anzeigen im LKW". Schlussbericht im Prometheus Projekt: „Multisensoric Integrated Driver Assistance System (MIDAS)“, Leitung: Färber, Berthold, Phase III, Teilprojekt Uni BW München (19K9317/1). 1995.
Popp, Michael M.; Färber, Berthold: „Gestaltung von integrierten Anzeigen unter Berücksichtigung mentaler Modelle“. In: Pawlik, Kurt (Hrsg.), „39. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Abstracts“, Psychologisches Institut I der Universität Hamburg. 1994. S. 537-538.