LUI AR - Virtual Interaction with the car

  

LUI AR – A necessary humanlike driving companion that’s reliable, honest and transparent

The autonomous vision is more prevalent in the automotive industry now more than ever, and is continuing to move like a wildfire. Many automotive companies are focusing on the technical implementation of autonomous driving to make it a reality. This is a huge calculation process that makes sure both the steering wheel angle and acceleration values are precise. With these accurate measurements, it’s feasible to say we’ll be seeing more self-driving cars on the road in the near future – but this new reality doesn’t come without its own challenges.

Handing over your responsibility to a vehicle

It’s important to note what not many consider when they jump into the driver’s seat, but may often be considered subconsciously. In a self-driving car, people give the responsibility of their lives to the vehicle. Allowing this release of control requires a much higher level of trust in the autonomous car than in a human-driven one. Convincing human beings to build trust in their car (especially if they are using an unfamiliar car from a shared car provider) can be difficult.

But let’s take a step back. What if we thought of the car as a humanlike companion rather than a cold-blooded machine? Building trust in a human-human relationship can be complex and sometimes requires a lot of time, but there are key humanlike qualities that can also be attributed to the human-machine relationship, such as:

• Being reliable
• Being honest
• Being transparent

Having these qualities in an autonomous system can help ease the user and increase trust in the vehicle. For instance, a driver interface that visualizes the car’s interpretation of the current on-road situation as well as its potential corresponding actions fosters reliability, honesty and transparency. The bottom line is: if a machine adheres to these rules, it’s easier to hand over the responsibility.
In addition, the machine also has to communicate in a way that is natural and easy to understand. For a passenger in a self-driving car, it should not be any different than talking to another living, breathing human being. So as technology marches forward, new communication opportunities arise that appeal to users.

How will AR/VR communicate with the future

The truth is, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), hand tracking and holograms are shaping the future of human-machine interactions. By allowing for a more enhanced user experience, the human-machine interface (HMI) becomes more user friendly, natural and intuitive for the user.

To adapt to the change, Luxoft created an AR/VR solution that introduces a humanlike machine companion to the passenger. This system, the Luxoft User Interface AR (LUI AR), will pave the way for autonomous vehicles to get you from point A to point B.

The LUI AR is an autonomous system you can count on

Using LUI AR means letting the car take the wheel without any need for concern. Through high-tech sensors, the car can alert the passenger of obstacles or changes on the road before they happen. For instance, it follows other drivers’ maneuvers, such as lane changes, or can identify sharp bends in the road ahead.
The human-machine interface (HMI) also detects the weather. The car alerts passengers when bad weather could be an issue, offering alternative routes and plans. For example, the car could offer an evasive route, or something reasonable to pass the time while the storm blows over, like shopping or dining options. Of course, the car also informs the passenger about nearby places of interest without bad weather issues. But unlike a typical GPS, the user can interact with a virtual model of the destination, such as a castle or a museum.

In addition, this solution allows the car to keep you informed of other things, such as when it has finished charging its battery, found an available parking spot, is in need of maintenance and so on. It also asks the user questions, such as if and when it should pick you up, or even if it should drive through an automated car wash beforehand.

Get in dialogue with your car

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to talk to your car? LUI AR allows you to add your car to the contact list of your favorite messaging app. And when you send messages, the car replies in a humanlike nature, feeling extremely natural to communicate with.

Conclusion

By providing a new way of the future, LUI AR improves the customer journey every time the user steps into the car. This solution provides a stunning and engaging user experience to get you from point A to point B and anywhere in-between.
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We are also proud to announce that our LUI AR was presented with the Car HMI Award 2017. To find out more about LUI AR, be sure to watch our video.

The future is coming, so let’s get prepared. Contact us to find out more!

Olaf Preissner & Christoph Baldenhofer from Luxoft receiving the Car HMI Award.