Lexus is looking to push the boundaries of human-machine interaction with its new cockpit control concept for seamless driver interaction
Drawing crowds of admirers at Milan Design Week, Lexus recently unveiled its reimagining of driver controls – the new Black Butterfly user interface.
With more than 2,000 exhibitors filling all available spaces in the design hub of the Italian city with clothes, perfumes, furniture and endless other luxury products, the Japanese marque opted for a more subtle reveal at Superstudio Piu. The dark, minimalist studio space ensured that attention was focused on one thing only: the gently glowing car, positioned in the middle of the room.
The Lexus LF-ZC concept car was chosen to host the Black Butterfly dual-interface cockpit control system. The goal here, meanwhile, is to bring human and machine closer together through synchronised interactions.
The car itself was lit from within, drawing attention to its interior design as well as to the simple interface which replaces the many controls, buttons and displays seen in other vehicles. The screen glowed white, waiting for a driver to slide into their seat.
Koichi Suga, general manager of Lexus Design Division, described how the idea for completely redesigning the driving experience through the car’s interface came about. In the early design stages, he explained, he printed out the shape and size of the monitor onto pieces of paper and stuck them on the dashboard to help visualise the final product.
To create the screen seen in the LF-ZC car, Suga chose micro-LED, a flat-panel display technology that boasts improved contrast and energy efficiency compared to traditional LCD technology.
Today, he explained, technology is advancing in a way that often supersedes human ability – but this shouldn’t be scary. Instead, we can create technology that forms a connection with the user, synchronising with their body. The Black Butterfly is an example of how this connection could be used in the automotive industry.
Ease of use
When asked if he thinks that the LF-ZC will be easier to drive than a traditional car, Suga replied that if you were used to using a Nokia phone, iPhones with their keyboard-less interfaces might initially seem confusing, but once you’re accustomed to them, they’re intuitive and simple to use.
Lexus surrounded its launch with related installations in neighbouring rooms. These included A-Un, inspired by the Japanese concept of harmonised breath, in collaboration with Japanese creative studios Six and Studeo; and Discover Together, a legacy project with elements designed by Japanese company Bascule, Northeastern University and in-house designers from Lexus.
The Black Butterfly aims to bring human machine interfaces closer together through synchronised interactions, reflected in A-Un’s butterfly-shaped screen, handwoven from 35 kilometres of Japanese bamboo fibre, which came to life as visitors approached it. Like the car’s user interface, the installation also responds to the heartbeat of the person standing in front of it, creating unique patterns.
Both the LF-ZC and the Black Butterfly remain concepts for now, so I asked Suga when Lexus customers can expect cars with the Black Butterfly technology to be made road legal and available for purchase. Lexus had initially set a target of the end of 2026, but Suga admitted that this had been too optimistic, and he was no longer sure when mass-producing such a complex operating system would be possible.
One thing remains, though: the Black Butterfly looks set to revolutionise the way that human beings and technology interact in future, blurring the boundaries between the two in ways that are beneficial to both.
This article first appeared in DEVELOP3D Magazine
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