My next brief is to design a UI for an autonomous vehicle.
This design brief focuses on screen-based interfaces that enable interactions with autonomous vehicles. Your task is to map out what will be required to assist people in interaction with autonomous vehicles in the future. This futuristic nature if this assessment means that it will be difficult to gather first hand experience and common usability issues. You will have to rely on existing documentation found online or in research papers
Autonomous vehicles, sometimes called self-driving cars, are self-reliant vehicles which use technology to partially or entirely replace the driver. They navigate the car while avoiding hazards and obeying traffic signs. Fulfilling the role of a human driver using various forms of technology and sensors. They are essentially a robot disguised as a car.
Currently there are five levels of automation classified by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Level 0 is completely reliant on the driver, no automation whatsoever. The level of automation gradually increases but for many the driver still must be involved to some degree, with five being fully self-driving. (Think batmobile type stuff)
These completely self driving cars are still a bit away, but higher levels of automation are currently being developed by companies. Designers need to start thinking about how people will be interacting with these fully automated vehicles. Thinking about things like booking the car, inputting your destination, payment screens etc. Before getting stuck in to design it is important for me to research how the cars are expected to function and perform in the future.
Self driving cars use lots of different technologies and utilise AI in how they operate to ensure that the passenger gets to where they need to safely. I’ve had a look at some of the functions and technologies they could include.
Being able to “see” the world around them is crucial for these autonomous vehicles. They use a combination of radar, cameras and LIDAR (Light detection and ranging). These feed their data into processors which use AI, algorithms and machine learning to send signals to the vehicles correct areas to trigger actions like steering, braking and acceleration. They are able to detect and differentiate between pedestrians, cyclists, curbs, obstructions and other vehicles.
Ai is a big part of self-driving technology and is responsible for recognising road markings, signs, warnings and be able to predict the actions of nearby pedestrians and other vehicles to ensure the autonomous vehicle can react safely.
Although autonomous vehicles are not currently available to the general public, the technology is not far away. Manufacturers are working daily on the tech’s tangible development. It’s only a matter of time before we have them on our streets and have them available to use.
The technology in existing cars borders on the autonomous, with lane-control and adaptive cruise control making it easier for the driver by automating the experience. These automated elements of cars will become more and more prevalent. It’s estimated that by 2030, the global market for self-driving vehicles will have a value of at least $2 trillion. More car manufacturers continue to adapt to autonomous vehicle pproduction, and in the not-too-distant future, many companies will have be able to affordably mass produce these vehicles.
At the minute, there are 250 manufacturers involved in fully autonomous vehicle production.
Self-driving vehicles, most of which use a “safety driver” are currently in use, mainly by fleets that include warehouse yard lorries that transport goods from one contained location to another. Companies such as kodiak and Gatik operate self-driving lorries on certain routes with safety drivers on board.
