When it comes to considering what the future may have in store for the automobile, there's a lot of speculation about how we will drive our cars. We're all pretty much guaranteed to be behind the wheel of a Tesla Model 3 or something similar eventually and with autonomous tech still a goal for the industry, perhaps we won't use that wheel all that often. But there is no doubt that there will still be situations in which the use of a steering wheel will be required. Until then, we need to keep our hands where they belong, and the Origo steering wheel is a brilliant new design that aims to ensure just that.

Although automakers for the most part try to keep the screens you use for infotainment and so on in an area that still allows you to keep your eye on the road, these screens are still distracting and require you to let go of the steering wheel, even if just momentarily. The Origo steering wheel concept looks very minimalist and simple, but it wants to control everything from turn signals to climate control and more. A consortium of companies has come together to create this innovation that uses transparent 3D touch surfaces to create an easy to use human-machine interface.

Miika Heikkinen, the lead designer for one of the companies involved, says: "Our lives have become cluttered with information and overstimulated with choices, so we wanted to offer the driver clarity with our steering wheel concept and reduce functions and controls to just the bare necessities."

The end goal is to minimize distractions and keep the driver's eyes on the road, allowing them to adjust settings and preferences using only their thumbs.

It's an innovative idea and has been awarded the top spot in the category of Excellent Product Design by the German Design Council. German Design Awards is a highly prestigious design competition with an international jury deciding on winners, so this is a big deal for all involved with the project. The only thing that remains is to see if an existing manufacturer or an upcoming start-up will license the tech and implement it in a production car someday. Perhaps GM can add it to its own exciting project. Maybe Mercedes will continue to put a hold on autonomous driving and try out something like this. Whatever the future holds, it's going to look very different from the world we know today.