Modern automobiles are so overwhelmingly complex that it can be hard to fathom how much attention to detail goes into every single part. Mazda, though, the Japanese company that prides itself on its obsession with detail, has gone one step further. The automaker revealed recently how it designed a new type of turn signal to mimic the beating of the human heart, and how the task proved to be surprisingly difficult to complete.
The gently pulsating turn signal made its debut on the Mazda CX-30 and was the brainchild of Atsushi Yoshida, a designer and the automaker’s lamp development leader. He said that while LED lamps bring many advantages, in turn signals, their habit of turning on and off instantly makes them feel cold and digital.
That was a problem for the designer, because, he said, Mazda places enormous value in “human-centric designs.” Its designers, therefore, focus on how every aspect of a vehicle is interpreted, not only by those inside of a Mazda, but those outside of one, too. And so, he landed on the idea of making the turn signal a little more human, by making it pulse like a heartbeat.
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“A turn signal lamp must effectively communicate a driver’s intention and catch the attention of pedestrians and other drivers,” said Yoshida. “I hoped that the feeling of a human heart – echoed in how the turn signal lamp instantly appears and then gradually dims – could reduce driver tension and create feelings of calmness and safety for the viewer.”
In order to get the rhythm right, Yoshida says he looked at electrocardiograms, watching the waveforms created by a heartbeat, studying how they lingered and diminished, rather than simply turning on or off.
And while that may seem like a simple enough idea to put into practice, the turn signal proved to be a deceptively difficult product to create. Yoshida said it took he and his team two years to create a turn signal that was ready to put into production, so long that it actually missed its first deadline.
“A big setback came when its first scheduled installation into the Mazda3 was canceled because the light dimmed inconsistently,” said Yoshida. “However, working with Mazda engineers and our supplier, Stanley Electric Co., Ltd., we repeatedly readjusted the signal light in 0.01 second increments, solved the problem and installed it successfully.”
Now, the designer hopes that the “Dimming Turn Signals” will show people on the road how much attention to detail Mazda puts into every one of its vehicles.
“I want to help increase Mazda design value through lighting,” he said. “Although competition is intensifying with electric cars and autonomous driving, I want to see outstanding car design continue without compromise.”
