AP UI - Adaptive + Predictive User Interface - Automotive Industry

 

Greetings, our subject here is the UI of the future for the automotive world, but before tackling it, we need to take some steps back, so we can pacify some points in the conclusions. 

It’s no secret that the automotive world, especially the urban segment, is going all-in with electric powertrains. Without going into the specifics or on the merit of that choice, we can make an assumption: apparently, there is no way back.

It’s almost obvious that the giant GPS and infotainment screens will when not already done, dominate the dashboard and get the attention of everybody inside all urban cars of any type, any drivetrain in the near future. That’s more evident in the electrified ones, freed from several gauges needed to manage ICE engines.  

Sometime after this near future, we will have autonomous vehicles dominating all major metropolitan areas and much more as time goes by. 

Those are technological marvels, we can’t argue with the facts that to move from point ‘a’ to ‘b’ by any means will get safer, cheaper, easier; maybe more collaborative...

What is left from all those advancements for the people that want some ‘drama’ from their cars, sports cars, race cars; more connection with the machine? Maybe an alternative UI can be done to give us back the pleasure to drive late in the night or on the weekends after a stressful week? Or on a track day? Going to the other extreme of the drama scale: communicate more with less effort could help a pilot/team to win the Formula 1 championship?

Answering the first question of the previous paragraph, I’m sure nowadays too little helps people connect back to their cars, which is unbelievable because any global car has dozens of digital modules controlling all systems onboard. With all that data provided from several sensors, that in fact isn’t interesting to the average user, we can bost astonishing graphics in the instrument cluster, helping the user to achieve outstanding performance aided by a system that instead of its usual reactive UI: shows where the driver is in relation with where he must be in order to achieve the desired results.

Black magic? I don’t think so, what do we need to do is use the data already available with some tweaks to give the user the best possible information: intelligible and readable in a blink of an eye.

I would like to take a break to inform people that User Interface can go much beyond the digital screens as people usually think. There is a universe of options to improve all the instruments to control a car. For example, can we steer manually all four wheels of a car? I'm sure yes, but not with a traditional steering wheel: after some research, we can do it.

Impossible? I also don’t think so, even if some low budget additional sensors are needed, all cars: new or older, 2 or 4 wheels drive, with CIE, electric or any other type of powertrain; can have this new UI as OEM, as an aftermarket replacement or in restomod projects.

As an affordable and adaptable system, any type of vehicle with similar sensors can be fitted and have the benefits that can be enlarged if the users load more data like the size/type/brand of tires and share their experiences, their data and so on: there are no limits.

As an example, I can’t understand why a Formula 1 driver must ask his engineer over the radio about his own tires’ temperatures. I don’t know what you that are reading this are thinking, but I’m sure that one of the most important pieces of information for a Formula 1 pilot, to help his tire management should not be hidden behind that multi-hundred million dollars machines and infrastructure.

Yes, I’m not suggesting putting four digital temp gauges on that little screen in front of the pilot, because it is useless and will not help; so I ‘think’ it could be done in a much more discreet, effective and elegant way, getting less of the pilot attention than talk over the radio. A lot more work to improve the integration of the man with the machine can be done using the same philosophy, in almost any type of human-driven automotive machine.

What do you think? We are condemned to solely rely on giant GPS / infotainment screens due to the announced death of the gear indicator, tachometer, water/oil temp, boost pressure and so on? Or soon, nobody will drive manually anymore as in the sci-fi movies?

At this point, after all the points mentioned: an Adaptive / Predictive User Interface makes sense? 

I hope yes, I also hope a great carmaker or OEM /aftermarket company will hire me to help them achieve this objective better and faster. Because the hope never ends, one way or another, we will have an alternative UI to the omnipresent velocity/GPS/range/infotainment; soon or later. Let's get it done!

Do you like this innovative thinking even though you didn't agree that the AP-UI could revolutionize the automotive industry? It could be done in other sectors inside the automotive-like suspensions, unsprung/active aerodynamics, or any other industry, contact me and I will do my best to help.

That's it, as in any social network, your likes and shares will help a lot: comments and thoughts are welcome too. Thanks for the attention, I’m looking forward to our next post! All the best.