My Role
I came onto the project when it was time to begin development. I designed visual interactions, made motion graphic animations, designed illustrations, and worked with the developers to make sure the product followed the spec.
team
4 Designers, 3 Developers, 2 PMs
Date
2021
tools
Illustrator, After-effects
Emerging robo-taxis (automated vehicles operated in a ride-hailing service) present an opportunity to radically redesign the conventional automobile in a way that mitigates the risks of sharing a ride with a stranger and perhaps even creates some new social benefits.
Purpose
This project was commissioned by cEnergi Lab , a subsidiary of the Institute of Transportation Services of University of California, in association with the National Center of Sustainable Transportation.
Background
Little is known regarding the conditions under which riders will tolerate (or even benefit) from ride-pooling. The data collected could help determine which robotaxi design is most desirable in a given scenario and demographic. However, existing survey tools are rigid and do not offer the flexibility we need to give survey participants a realistic experience in order to collect accurate feedback.
Project Goal
The goal is for the participants to feel like they are in the scenario in which they would be using a robotaxi to increase the validity of their responses. We chose to design and develop our own custom survey tool that tests pooling-promotive vehicle and app features using complex visualizations and interactions.
Project Scope
The project can be broken up into three sections:
1. Rider scenarios
- Show situations where the public would use a pooled robotaxi service.
2. Robotaxi features
- Demonstrate features that support safety, security, control, relaxation, and fun using dashboard and 3D Model visualizations.
3. Survey design
- Create connection to Uber and Lyft, which are pooled services that the public is already familiar with
Project Highlights
Rider Scenarios
I designed 12 different scenario animations. The average participant will not see every scenario as they are dependent upon the demographic taking the survey. Some situations are "going home from the airport," or "getting home from a night out," as illustrated below. The survey is responsive so I had to design two different size versions, one that would be optimal for desktop and one for mobile.
Infotainment Screens
I designed two dashboards for the interior of the robotaxi. One allows the user to see where they are on the map at all times. As well as notifies riders that there is someone monitoring the ride via a live feed to a video camera. It was important to make sure the symbol of the ride monitor was friendly, as it can be easily shown as a scary omnipotent presence. But it is important for safety to include the ride monitor as a feature in the robotaxi to substitute for the fact that there is no driver present.
The other dashboard, is a game and entertainment system that encourages riders to talk to each other creating a community ambience. It has games, as well as podcasts and music to choose from. It also allows the passengers to vote on what they would like to hear on the ride app. Ultimately these two dashboards attempt to make the passengers feel safe and excited to ride in a pooled robotaxi.
3D Model of the Robo-Taxi
Lastly, we had another designer create a 3D rendering of the vehicle with all of the physical features added on to it.
The design features to note are:
the large windows, spacious seating, high ceilings that allow passengers to stand up, space for luggage, good lighting, cup holders, a control panel with emergency stop, swivel chairs, and a security camera.
I designed the video layout, sequence, and the motion graphic animations.
Restorative Nature
The survey also seeks to test how including visuals of nature could create a relaxing environment for passengers.
Car Skins
Here the pattern is tropical and has soothing colors to support a relaxing ambience.
Survey Questions: ride share apps
This is how the survey is presented to participants after they have been shown the 3D model and the scenario videos. They choose whether they would prefer the private or pool option for riding a robotaxi. The user get different sizing and layout based on the device they are using. If it's mobile, the survey screen will mimic an app layout.
The end
Outcome
The robotaxi survey is being actively used today to collect data on the public's feelings on pooled robotaxis. The findings of the surveys have yet to be released.
Next Steps
This robotaxi survey tool is a core framework that the Institute of Transportation Studies can build on top of for related research. For example, there have been discussions of adding more features to the tool to research the topic of women and transportation.
The survey can also be designed to collect more granular data by highlighting specific features versus a thorough robotaxi design.
