For this brief it is all about how customers interact with autonomous vehicles through various screen interfaces. Our project will be how we help people use autonomous vehicles in the most efficient and effective way. Although I am not a big car fan and don’t have much interest in the design of cars, I am looking forward to creating these screen interfaces and to see what futuristic designs I can come up with.
I began my research with gathering an understanding of what an autonomous vehicle is and to put it simply, it is a car that is can operate with no human involvement and even further than that no human needs to be in the vehicle at all for it to even move. The idea of a completely self driving car seems extremely futuristic and years ahead of our time however, there have been recent advancement in cars with autopilot features such as Tesla that show autonomous vehicles may not be that far into the future as we think.
Existing Autonomous Vehicles
After gathering an understanding of what autonomous vehicles are I then started to research some companies that have already created the working autonomous vehicles. To my surprise there was a lot of companies that have designed and began creating the technology behind autonomous vehicles however, that is where it ends and it is simply only an idea but there has been a few successful companies that have created fully working autonomous vehicles.
One those successful companies is Cruise, they are an American founded company that are world leading in autonomous vehicles and their priority is the safety of their customers. They are currently only in San Fransisco but are looking to grow their location range. They offer pick-ups and drop-offs just like any other taxi service but have removed the need for a person to be driving and this seems like such an amazing concept being able to avoid the awkward small talk and in some cases the fear and anxiety of being in a strangers car. Despite, safety being Cruise’s top priority it is clear to see that in some reviews that there is some uncertainty around feeling completely safe in an autonomous vehicle with some quick and slightly dangerous turns when around other vehicles. It shows how even though Cruise have come such a long way in creating a completely self driving car, it still may be too early for such futuristic technology.
Cruise Self Driving Cars | Autonomous Vehicles | Driverless Rides
The second company I found was called Zoox, which is also an American founded company whose goal is “to make personal transportation safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable—for everyone.”(1) They are a branch from Amazon who are developing their own style of autonomous vehicles for dense urban areas and make transport cleaner, safer and easier. What I really like about Zoox is the design of their vehicle, it is not the traditional layout out of a car but instead a spacious cabin with useful elements such as cup holders, charging station and a screen that allows you to see what the vehicle is doing. You’re able to make your ride even more enjoyable by playing whatever music you want and control the air quality within the vehicle. There is also a lot more attention put into place with concerns of safety within the Zoox vehicle rather than the Cruise one with fitted airbags coming across each seat ensuring the passengers safety. I really like the design of the Zoox vehicle in terms of the layout and features of the vehicle.
Everyday Vehicles
I then moved my research from ideas and prototypes of fully autonomous vehicles to physical cars that have autonomous features. We all know Tesla cars and their autopilot features which made them quite popular in 2016 with influencers and celebrities buying them creating more conversation and intrigue around them. However, they would have been the only car I ever knew that had any sort of autonomous feature, that is until I began researching for this project.
The Ford F-150 is a 4x4 pickup that was made for all environments and was created with a hybrid of a powerful engine and incredibly smart technology to give us a beast of a vehicle. What I really like about it is how it was create for all types of uses, for towing heavy loads with absolute ease, off-grid camping, snow and ice and much more. What led my research to this vehicle was how it has something known as Ford Co-Pilot 360 Technology and it is a range of autonomous features within the vehicle to make the journey and driver safer. Some of these features include pre collision assist which “scan the road ahead and can alert you to a potential collision with a vehicle or pedestrian detected ahead”(2) and it goes as far as applying an emergency brake if it senses a collision is about to occur. Another autonomous feature included in this vehicle is the high-beam headlight which automatically turn on the the vehicles headlights when in dark/low-visibility areas, allowing for the driver to remain focused on the road. It also dims the headlights automatically if there is another set of headlights oncoming so you don’t blind the other driver and creating a safer journey for everyone. I found this vehicle and all its autonomous features quite interesting and to see that even cars nowadays have autonomous features to create a safer and more enjoyable journey is crazy to me.
2023 Ford F-150® Truck | Capability Features
Another car I came across in my research is the Infiniti QX50 which is an SUV vehicle with generous about of interior space and beautifully designed making it feel tailored to you. With customisable ambient lighting and high quality materials used to create such an exquisite car, it is clear to see that this car was made to be seen and suits a more urban area. Similarly, this car also has autonomous features to enhance the customers journey and this technology is referred to as ProPilot Assist. There are many features within the ProPilot Assist but the the I like the most is the steering assist which when activated will scan lane markers on the road and apply small steering corrections to keep the vehicle in the middle of the lane. This extremely helpful feature can be used in both busy roads or on empty roads too and is a great way to make the journey that bit safer.