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MCI

Reducing Driver Distraction through Haptic Feedback

Software is eating the world and cars are next. Car Manufacturers fret about competition from big tech, but there's a graver concern: Distracted drivers cause more accidents. We set out to make onboard software more accessible through haptic feedback & a modular approach

Futher Facts

Timeframe:
10 Weeks, 2019


Skills:
Hardware Prototyping, UI, Haptic Feedback


Team:
Lavinia Khalil, Ophelia, Sven


Cooperation Partners:
Porsche Digital

My Role

My Role

I was responsible of the hardware coding/tuning, model design of the final Prototype and big parts of the UI, including animations

THE Challenge

As Software takes over the Car,
Driver Distraction is on the rise

As Software takes over the Car, Driver Distraction is on the rise

24%

of drivers use their phone
behind the wheel

50%

50%

of drivers feel distracted by growing screens in cars

+24%

+24%

rise in accidents with injury due to distraction between 2021 & 22

THE Outcome

Combining multiple modalities to
achieve a scalable, yet safe Car-UI

Combining multiple modalities to achieve a scalable, yet safe Car-UI

↑ Watch the video to see how the solution looks like

Initial Setup Process

One of the concepts key differentiators is its modular (and customizable) architecture: Upon first login, the user can tailor the entire system. He does so by selecting software modules resembling different functionalities and arranging them in a "Dock" at the bottom.

One of the concepts key differentiators is its modular (and customizable) architecture: Upon first login, the user can tailor the entire system. He does so by selecting software modules resembling different functionalities and arranging them in a "Dock" at the bottom.

One of the concepts key differentiators is its modular (and customizable) architecture: Upon first login, the user can tailor the entire system. He does so by selecting software modules resembling different functionalities and arranging them in a "Dock" at the bottom.

↑ Personalizing the system

01 - Haptic Fader: Navigating
'between functionalities

As the fader had force feedback, users could switch in-between functionalities blindliy. Since the feedback steps were adaptable via code we could personalize almost the whole experience for every driver, therefore also making it more accessible to elderly people.

As the fader had force feedback, users could switch in-between functionalities blindliy. Since the feedback steps were adaptable via code we could personalize almost the whole experience for every driver, therefore also making it more accessible to elderly people.

As the fader had force feedback, users could switch in-between functionalities blindliy. Since the feedback steps were adaptable via code we could personalize almost the whole experience for every driver, therefore also making it more accessible to elderly people.

↑ Navigating between functionalities with the fader

02 - The dial: Getting precision when it matters.

As dials are great to control something very precise - even while driving we used it for things like skimming through tracks, dialing up the fan speed or browsing through your calendar. As you could also push it up or down to move deeper into menus or back out of it again it offered ample capabilities to use.

As dials are great to control something very precise - even while driving we used it for things like skimming through tracks, dialing up the fan speed or browsing through your calendar. As you could also push it up or down to move deeper into menus or back out of it again it offered ample capabilities to use.

↑ Skipping to the next song with the dial

↑ Skipping to the next song with the dial

03 - Touchscreen: Great to take Shortcuts

While hitting a touch target is definitely not easy while driving, the touch modality is great for shortcuts. And since screens themselves can have infinite views and states with buttons of various different sizes touchscreens are the most flexible modality, too.

While hitting a touch target is definitely not easy while driving, the touch modality is great for shortcuts. And since screens themselves can have infinite views and states with buttons of various different sizes touchscreens are the most flexible modality, too.

↑ Selecting a day in the calendar with the touchscreen

↑ Selecting a day in calendar with touchscreen

THE Process

Exploring how to make Car-UIs more
accessible through haptic elements

Exploring how to make Car-UIs more accessible through haptic elements

01 - ResearcH

Identifying an opportunity through quantitative research: Todays car-software lacks haptic elements

Identifying an opportunity through quantitative research & learning from the markets best practices

More

88

Survey Participants

95%

value haptics in the car

02 - Synthesis

Testing out different car softwares and talking with an expert to understand how current car-software is designed and why

More

Touchscreens are extremely flexible,
yet cheap

This is why companies like Tesla & others start using them exclusively

03 - Ideation

Prototyping different hardware solutions and discovering a novel haptic feedback method

More

In 2 Workshops we developed software controlled prototypes

We stumbled upon a motorized fader that changed our game

04 - Development

Looking into how hardware and software could play together & mapping different interactions to respective modalities

More

Special focus was the set-up process where personalization happend

Testing the UI during driving helped size the elements accordingly

05 - Final Prototype

Finalizing the concept and building a hardware prototype to test out with users

More

Our prototype could only demonstrate switching apps

We also presented the project at Porsche Digital

Impact

Why User Interface Design
is NOT Screen Design

Learning about the role of Design and getting intrigued by the potential of AI

This is a 4th semester project, so you might ask: Why is this in here?
Because this project to me illustrates the following point:


User Interface (UI) DOES NOT equal screen design.


This project really showed me how enriching it can be to utilize other modalities than (touch-) screens only: If we want to build the best possible tools for humans, why should we limit ourselves only to the visual modality? There are so much more modalities out there, ready to be discovered and molded into even more intuitive, humane experiences.


As I have been studying industrial design for 3 semesters before switching to interaction design I believe its due to this background that I find myself from time to time thinking "beyond the screen".

This is a 4th semester project, so you might ask: Why is this in here? Because this project to me illustrates the following point:


User Interface (UI) DOES NOT equal screen design.

This project really showed me how enriching it can be to utilize other modalities than (touch-) screens only: If we want to build the best possible tools for humans, why should we limit ourselves only to the visual modality? There are so much more modalities out there, ready to be discovered and molded into even more intuitive, humane experiences.


As I have been studying industrial design for 3 semesters before switching to interaction design I believe its due to this background that I find myself from time to time thinking "beyond the screen".

Break the ice.

About me

I am a passionate & curious mind.
Feel free to connect on LinkedIn

© 2022 Hannes Maurer

Created with 💙 in Esslingen

Break the ice.

About me

I am a passionate & curious mind.
Feel free to connect on LinkedIn

© 2022 Hannes Maurer

Created with 💙 in Esslingen

Break the ice.

About me

I am a passionate & curious mind.
Feel free to connect on LinkedIn

© 2022 Hannes Maurer

Created with 💙 in Esslingen