Video: Nextgen's Robot for Touchscreen Testing

The new Nextgen ATAM Touchscreen Robot – Ensuring True End-to-End Infotainment Touchscreen Testing

In today's vehicles, the infotainment touchscreen is the primary control interface. From Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, climate control, media playback and connected apps, the touchscreen is the default method for users to interact with their cars. OEMs need to make sure that the touchscreen interface works in all conditions.

However, most test methods for infotainment functions never actually touch the screen. Instead they often emulate user inputs, sending software commands directly to the system’s backend. While this approach is fast and convenient to confirm basic functionality, it can miss how the touchscreen hardware and firmware behave under actual user interaction.

Why “Virtual” Touch Testing Falls Short

As part of it’s infotainment test Nextgen has developed this touch screen robot to avoid the limitations of software-driven screen automation:

• Ghost Touches: Inputs are triggered without physical contact, often caused by sensor or grounding issues.
• Multitouch Recognition Errors: When two or more gestures occur, the system may misinterpret them, breaking the intended user flow.
• Gesture Control Failures: Drag, swipe, or pinch gestures may behave differently, or fail, under real human touch conditions.

The Nextgen Solution: ATAM Touchscreen Robot (ATSR)

Nextgen developed the ATAM Touchscreen Robot as a component of the ATAMConnect automation suite. It’s designed to replicate human touch with precision, speed, and repeatability. Unlike other methods, ATSR performs physical interactions on the screen, ensuring the testing method exactly matches the real-world user experience.

Key capabilities include:

• Single-Touch Simulation: Reproducing accurate button presses anywhere on the screen with millimetre accuracy.
• Complex Gesture Execution: Performing swipes, drags, and multi-touch inputs exactly as a human would.
• Consistency & Repeatability: Every interaction is measured, calibrated, and repeatable, eliminating the variability of a human test engineer.
• Integration with ATAMConnect: Intuitive automation setup and control with result logging, visual verification, and test sequencing.

Click to watch the Nextgen Touchscreen Robot in action:

Nextgen ATAM TouchScreen Robot - Delivering True End-to-End Testing

By incorporating ATSR into the testing process, engineers can:

• Detect physical interface bugs and issues early in development.
• Validate gesture performance under varied conditions (e.g. firmware updates, temperature, vibration, electromagnetic interference).
• Ensure that touchscreen hardware, firmware, and application layers work together seamlessly.
• Reproduce in-field failures and pinpoint issues, reduce support costs and warranty claims.
  

Realistic Testing for a Better User Experience

Ultimately, the ATSR ensures that every touchscreen interaction works every time, whether tapping to answer a call, swiping to change a playlist, dragging icons to customise a display and much more.

Nextgen ATAM Touchscreen Robot – Innovation at Your Fingertips.

Find out more about Nextgen ATAMConnect test automation and about our testing services - Nextgen automated testing elevates your product QA test strategy and product development processes, just contact us today or call +44 3331 120 000.