Implement Automatic low cost touchscreen robot inside Big Companies, Following Agile Methods

As the development of in-vehicle infotainment systems increases, center stack display, digital instrument panels and heads-up displays become much more common in modern vehicles. Several of these screens are touch displays and in order to execute automated test in those displays against new iterations of software two solutions are possible: embedded touch simulators or physically touch the screens with external actuators. Although simulators can be more practical and easier to setup, its availability depends on the parts suppliers, not being always the same software and setup for the same test cases. External actuators have advantage to test the software and physical components and have a constant setup, but usually commercial options are expensive and need specialized professionals to configure it as needed. Aiming to simplify the setup for hardware-in-the-loop tests for infotainment systems involving touchscreen displays and reduce costs, this work describes how versions of a mostly 3D printed robot actuator for screen touches were made within the company using startup like agile methods to develop a custom solution integrated to the existing equipment and software. Following this method, a low cost, easily reproducible, on demand and unique configuration was obtained and it can be used for all future tests despite the supplier solutions and screen sizes.