• Archives of design research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.99-108
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• 1999

The interior space in a passenger car is consisted with many partial elements, and the instrument panel is the most important part from all of them, which is designate the total image of the interior design and the space variation, drivability and safety of the interior space. ] The instrument panel of a passenger car in the early age had the concept of a wall between the engine room and the passenger cabin on which the instrument for the driver were fitted. Therefore the central mounting of the instruments was the typical feature regardless of the position of a driver seat. As the automobiles became more functional with many equipments, driver oriented instrument panel with energy absorbing materials had been developed, and that was the beginning of the various instrument panel design of these days. The recent instrument panels of passenger car have the tendency of going back to the central instrument mounting as it was at the past on a few cars for the strict safety regulation, a new production technology and for the enhanced drivability. It can be summarized into a few results as these with the analysis of a few recent instrument panels. -minimizing the total volume for the better frontal visibility. -energy absorbing and passive structures for the strict impact regulations. -revival of central instrument mounting for the convenience and safety through minimizing the difference of the focal length of a driver.