Hiding in Plain Sight: The Future of Automotive UX Through Shytech

This article represents my opinion on Shytech based on two decades of experience in material, product, and process innovation across the EU and USA. (I have worked extensively in this domain and hold over 25 patents in the fields of composite structures, smart surfaces, and Shytech integration, and my views expressed here do not reflect the position of any affiliated company.) This article represents my opinion on Shytech based on two decades of experience in material, product, and process innovation across the EU and USA. (I have worked extensively in this domain and hold over 25 patents in the fields of composite structures, smart surfaces, and Shytech integration, and my views expressed here do not reflect the position of any affiliated company.) Introduction Introduction As automotive interiors evolve to meet increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations, most drivers now prioritize advanced technology and seamless integration in vehicle interiors (83% of drivers globally, according to a 2023 McKinsey study). By seamlessly integrating hidden, intuitive technologies, Shytech enables cleaner aesthetics, improved user interaction, and enhances the overall vehicle experience. This approach aligns perfectly with future automotive trends, particularly in autonomous driving and increased digital integration. Let’s discover what's behind Shytech! What is “Shytech”? What is “Shytech”? Shytech, short for “hidden until lit”, refers to “interface technologies and controls” that remain visually undetectable until activated. These are made possible through layered capacitive sensors, optical bonding techniques, embedded lighting elements, and functional films. Specialized coatings and materials allow these features to remain dormant until engaged by the user, enabling seamless transitions between purely decorative and fully interactive surfaces. hidden until lit The primary goal is to create surfaces that appear decorative yet contain embedded functionalities—such as controls, displays, and feedback mechanisms—that activate only when needed. Emerging in automotive interiors, Shytech’s principles extend to broader applications, such as smart home devices and consumer electronics. Benefits of Shytech in Car Interiors Benefits of Shytech in Car Interiors Historically, premium interiors emphasized visible luxury materials like wood, leather, or aluminum, providing visual appeal primarily during daylight. With Shytech, interior ambiance now extends into nighttime through dynamic lighting, illuminating and accentuating interior elements. Examples include waterfall lighting, smart edges, and embedded smart bars, which are implemented using integrated RGB LED arrays controlled by microcontrollers or addressable ICs. These systems are often paired with diffusive light guides and optical films to ensure uniform illumination across complex surface geometries. I believe everyone has in mind a picture of a Mercedes-Benz from 2010 with plenty of switches across the dashboard and the door panels. This was only in 2010 and was probably quite complex at first sight to find each command quickly; now, we have a lot of additional information and systems to display! Shytech provides a great solution, beyond aesthetics, to improve usability by reducing visual clutter, enhancing intuitive control interaction. Innovative Examples in Automotive Innovative Examples in Automotive Notable examples include Mercedes-Benz's MBUX Hyperscreen, which merges display technology seamlessly within interior surfaces, activating only upon user interaction. According to user feedback gathered by Car and Driver in 2022, the MBUX interface was praised for its responsiveness and visual integration, though some users noted a slight learning curve. Additionally, Dr. Markus Schäfer, CTO of Mercedes-Benz, described the system as a "breakthrough in digital minimalism," emphasizing its role in the brand's design-forward strategy. BMW's iX integrates concealed controls within wooden surfaces, emphasizing luxury while retaining practicality. Audi incorporates capacitive touch elements under fabric, demonstrating the adaptability of Shytech. Another compelling showcase comes from FORVIA, a global leader in automotive technology and interiors. At CES 2024, FORVIA introduced AirVision—an award-winning reflective display technology that enables image projection onto the dashboard without exposing a screen. Unlike traditional head-up displays, AirVision offers a defined background, enhancing image legibility and aesthetic integration. This innovation exemplifies Shytech principles by delivering content only when needed while preserving a seamless design. aesthetic integration. This innovation exemplifies Shytech principles by delivering content only when needed while preserving a seamless design. Challenges and Future Trends Challenges and Future Trends However, Shytech integration isn’t without challenges. Achieving a balance between digital interfaces and traditional tactile feedback remains crucial. In a 2018 Car and Driver report, for instance, Tesla’s Model 3 received mixed reactions due to its centralized digital controls, highlighting user preference for intuitive physical interaction. A 2021 J.D. Power survey found that vehicles retaining traditional buttons and knobs for essential functions scored higher in user satisfaction, underscoring that many consumers still favor tactile control interfaces for frequently used features. Shytech addresses these concerns by maintaining physical interaction subtly through hidden capacitive or resistive sensors. Furthermore, with autonomous driving advancing, more information will be conveyed to passengers through dynamic, invisible displays. Surfaces need to seamlessly shift between transparent and opaque states, leveraging physical principles such as total internal reflection, refractive index modulation, and optical scattering. Materials used in these systems often feature engineered microstructures or multilayered composites that allow controlled transmission of light based on the angle of incidence or electrical input. This optical tunability enables displays and controls to remain hidden until activated, without compromising clarity or brightness. These capabilities are enabled by technologies such as advanced lighting systems, electroluminescent inks, and high-intensity LEDs that can effectively penetrate semi-transparent materials. Shytech Materials and Electronic Challenges Shytech Materials and Electronic Challenges Material Construction and Optical Behavior Several key suppliers have advanced the application of Shytech-compatible materials in automotive interiors. LIGNOES, based in Italy, has pioneered real wood veneers for illuminated and touch-interactive surfaces, offering a combination of natural aesthetics with digital functionality. Novem, a global interior trim specialist, offers both wood and stone veneers engineered for backlighting and haptic integration—features increasingly adopted by premium OEMs. For thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) skins, CGT (Canada) and TMG Automotive (Portugal) have developed advanced decorative films with optical diffusion layers, optimized for integration with capacitive and lighting technologies under high thermal stability. These films maintain a consistent appearance and tactile quality while supporting Shytech interfaces. KURZ (Germany), a leader in hot-stamped and printed decorative foils, provides multi-layered systems enabling fine light transmission control and compatibility with capacitive fields. WAVELOCK (Japan) offers precision-engineered foils known for their micro-optic layers, enhancing Shytech effects with reduced power consumption and sharper backlit patterns. In addition to foil materials, paint technologies are now playing a growing role in enabling Shytech functionality. Certain advanced coatings are engineered to remain opaque under ambient lighting but reveal graphics or illuminated features when backlit from beneath. Mankiewicz, a leading innovator in functional coatings, has developed paint systems that meet these optical performance requirements while offering durability, color stability, and compatibility with capacitive and haptic surfaces. These Shytech paints provide designers greater freedom by enabling invisible icons and illumination zones directly on contoured surfaces without added films or inserts. This technology is particularly interesting when surfaces have 3D shapes where foil cannot be formed. Such coatings must balance several properties: precise light-blocking versus transmission behavior, surface hardness for scratch resistance, and thermal stability to withstand interior automotive conditions. As a result, they require tight formulation control and high-spec manufacturing. Together, these suppliers represent the growing ecosystem required to support full-system Shytech integration, where material science and electronics must operate in harmony. A critical factor in Shytech material performance is construction thickness. Thinner materials require less light intensity to achieve backlighting, which improves energy efficiency and enables slimmer designs. However, even reducing thickness often introduces a blur effect—icons or symbols backlit behind the surface may lose definition and appear soft around the edges. Alternatively, lattice-like constructions—such as knitted or woven fabrics—offer excellent light transmission and can eliminate the need for aggressive thinning. These materials allow light to pass immediately through their open structure. Yet, they present a different challenge: visible pixelation or graininess in the illuminated graphic, as the open weave pattern can imprint itself on the light output. Some hybrid constructions attempt to balance both effects: achieving acceptable sharpness while maintaining transmission efficiency. These demand precise material engineering and thoughtful layering. Industrial Implications and Manufacturing Constraints The transition to Shytech-capable surfaces creates significant industrial implications. Most current decorative panels are designed for opacity. Creating semi-transparent solutions introduces the need for new laminates, adhesives, and coatings that must remain optically stable and color-neutral—especially under high temperatures. Yellowing adhesives, for example, can ruin a design over time. Manufacturing facilities must also adapt. Semi-transparent materials amplify visual imperfections like dust, inclusions, or air bubbles. Processes and equipment typically used for opaque components may no longer meet quality standards. This calls for dedicated tooling, new cleanroom standards, and a shift in supplier qualification and inspection workflows. A notable example of a startup driving innovation in this space is UltraSense Systems. Originally focused on mobile device interfaces, UltraSense has successfully transitioned into the automotive sector, showcasing several Shytech-enabled demos at CES. Their solutions integrate ultrasound-based touch sensing into solid materials, enabling tactile interaction without visible buttons. In 2024, UltraSense received a CES Innovation Award in the Vehicle Tech & Advanced Interfaces category, further validating the relevance and impact of their technology in redefining automotive user interfaces. The success of Shytech heavily depends on specialized materials capable of controlled transparency. Early implementations like black polycarbonate offered straightforward solutions, but newer materials—including wood veneers, textiles, and natural stone—present complex challenges, often requiring layered composites that must remain stable, clear, and resilient over a vehicle’s lifetime. Recent breakthroughs, such as nano-structured coatings developed by Fraunhofer Institute and thermoplastic optical films showcased at CES 2024, illustrate how material science is adapting to Shytech requirements. These innovations allow better control over light diffusion and enable higher clarity in hidden displays, opening up new design possibilities. Electronic Integration and Environmental Reliability Electronics embedded in Shytech surfaces, such as capacitive touch sensors, haptic actuators, and LED arrays, rely on precise integration with embedded control units. These systems often communicate using in-vehicle protocols such as LIN for simple actuators or CAN (Controller Area Network) for more complex data exchanges. These electronic components must also perform reliably under fluctuating environmental conditions, including rapid thermal cycling, humidity exposure, and electromagnetic interference—factors that are critical for long-term functional stability. Heat mats, increasingly used to enhance user comfort, add system complexity and require thermal management strategies that can handle abrupt temperature variations. The Future of Shytech As autonomy levels rise, the demand for seamless integration and responsive interaction will intensify. AI-driven technologies like eye tracking, voice commands, and gesture recognition, powered by sensor fusion. These systems combine input from multiple sensors—such as cameras and ultrasonic sensors—to accurately interpret user intent. According to a 2023 Deloitte Insights report, over 65% of automotive executives believe that by 2030, gesture-based and adaptive interfaces will become the primary mode of in-vehicle interaction. Similarly, the Center for Automotive Research predicts that the rise of Level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles will require entirely new interior architectures, where technologies like Shytech will be essential for balancing digital access and cognitive simplicity. Surfaces must differentiate subtle interactions, providing tailored responses through visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. Indeed, it’s all about creating a human-machine seamless interface. Achieving this requires OEMs to think of a fundamental reorganization of automotive system architectures, pushing the boundaries of traditional interior design and integration. Conclusion Shytech represents more than just a design trend; it signals a broader shift in automotive interior mindset. By embedding advanced technology seamlessly, Shytech ensures future car interiors are sophisticated, intuitive, and ready for the complexities of tomorrow’s driving environments. To fully realize the potential of Shytech, the automotive industry must not only embrace new materials and interfaces but also rethink how technology, design, and engineering teams collaborate across the vehicle. OEMs are called to break traditional silos and approach interior integration as a full-stack system—spanning mechanical, electronic, and digital disciplines from the earliest concept phase. All engineers, Surface designers, CMF designers, material scientists, HMI designers, and software architects—need to come together and push the boundaries of embedded interfaces. Shytech is a rich field of opportunity and innovation! References Mankiewicz. (2023). "Invisible Until Needed: Coating Innovations for Smart Surface Integration." 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Retrieved from <https://www.forvia.com/newsroom/forvia-ces-2024-airvision-award](https://www.forvia.com/newsroom/forvia-ces-2024-airvision-award) <https://www.forvia.com/newsroom/forvia-ces-2024-airvision-award](https://www.forvia.com/newsroom/forvia-ces-2024-airvision-award) LIGNOES. (2023). "Smart Real Wood: Sustainable Veneers for Illuminated Surfaces." Retrieved from <https://www.lignoes.com/solutions/](https://www.lignoes.com/solutions/) <https://www.lignoes.com/solutions/](https://www.lignoes.com/solutions/) Novem Group. (2023). "Innovative Surfaces: Real Wood and Stone with Functional Integration." Retrieved from <https://www.novem.com/en/products/](https://www.novem.com/en/products/) <https://www.novem.com/en/products/](https://www.novem.com/en/products/) CGT. (2023). "Surface Solutions for Automotive Interiors." Retrieved from <https://www.cgtower.com/products/automotive/](https://www.cgtower.com/products/automotive/) <https://www.cgtower.com/products/automotive/](https://www.cgtower.com/products/automotive/) TMG Automotive. (2023). "Advanced Surface Films for Interior Trim." Retrieved from <https://www.tmgautomotive.com/en/products/](https://www.tmgautomotive.com/en/products/) <https://www.tmgautomotive.com/en/products/](https://www.tmgautomotive.com/en/products/) KURZ. (2023). "Decorative and Functional Foils for Smart Surfaces." Retrieved from <https://www.kurz-world.com/en/industries/automotive/interior-decoration/](https://www.kurz-world.com/en/industries/automotive/interior-decoration/) <https://www.kurz-world.com/en/industries/automotive/interior-decoration/](https://www.kurz-world.com/en/industries/automotive/interior-decoration/) WAVELOCK. (2023). "Innovative Foils for Automotive and Industrial Design." Retrieved from <https://www.wavelock.co.jp/en/](https://www.wavelock.co.jp/en/) <https://www.wavelock.co.jp/en/](https://www.wavelock.co.jp/en/)