Phase III : Develop

Develop Introduction

The ‘how might we’ aims towards deployment and application of autonomous technology in the mobility sector. It scopes the project towards how these technolgies are used and purposed within the mobility space to provide transport services. With this project I aim to develop and design a vehicle concept which responds to problems discovered in current deployment of AVs and few pre-existing issues within mobility as a service options.

Problem

I. Deadheading

Deadheading refers to the time spent driving while the driver is waiting to get a ride. It also includes the time driving to and from passengers. Deadheading currently account for 43% of the total drive time when using ride-hailing services.

II. Privacy

It was discovered only 15% of the ride-hailing trips in U.S. are shared. The main reason being privacy and safety while sharing a ride.

III. Accessibility

Most of the ride-share options today offer no wheel chair access or assistance features except button brails and in-app voice assistance. This makes it hard for users to locate and access these vehicles.

IV. Communication

Autonomous vehicles (AV) today have come a long way but present us with an issue of communicating with pedestrians and other vehicles on the road. Lack of feedback or almost no feedback with the immediate environment often leaves people confused about what the AV is thinking and what would it's next move.

Key Insight for Development

Benchmarks I

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12M8J7k1Oj5dDL_W0EaMPpRL2TGzRb7hJudtAi4gw8vg/edit?usp=sharing

Potential solutions for ‘Privacy’ were identified based on what currently exist in other transport options such air-planes, luxury cars and trains. Once identified, these solutions were ranked between 1/0 (yes/no) against the previously discovered needs and how do these pre-existing designs go about solving them. This feeds into my PDS which will further contribute towards my concept sketches for the vehicle interior. With the development of a vehicle it is hard not to consider the system it will exist in and how it will be managed on the space its proposed to run on. I consider this a crucial benchmark as to address issues such as deadheading and too many driver operating in the same region. I was interested in understanding how different types of transport options are managed and operated. Once identified, these were ranked against the needs which were considered most important for deployment of an AV concept.

Benchmarks II

Here the objective was to identify how each transport option functions and draw contrast between public transport, rideshare and carshare services. Once identified, these were again ranked based on travel independence (Schedule), route freedom and trip changes.

Product Design Specifications

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v1k1l2cWuPDPOgtKinPFTeORQ8OR53_m42GCvm-ZVag/edit?usp=sharing

Product Design Specifications for Concept Vehicle focused towards addressing issues of privacy within ride-share vehicles, accessbility and sustainable hailing with the application of autonomous vehicle technology

Prototype for G.uts (Layouts)

G.uts Exhibition: Cardboard Seating Layouts

Iterating Seating Layouts The cardboard cutouts helped in placement and replacement of seats to explore different seating layouts with emphasis placed on privacy and accessibility

Concept Exploration

Partition Screens

Angled Seats

Rear facing Seats

Section Walls

Prototype (Seating & Display)

Fig .01 & Fig. 02 (left to right respectively)

Fig. 01 Display + Interface Cardboard Mock-up

Mock-up of few of the benchmarked features to explore interaction and get feedback during the time of the exhibition. The prototype showcases dials, buttons and an emergency stop lever.

Fig. 02 Seating + Interface (1:1 Scale)

The overall 1:1 scale seating in addition mockup helped place and quick move chairs around to explore reach to display, sufficient leg space and spacing between the seats.

Interior + Exterior

Initial Sketches: Privacy and Storage

Section Walls + Rotating Seats

Initial Sketches → Visualising how the exterior and interior fits together. The section wall here offers access to both sides of the vehicle with 2 seats on each side. The seats here proposed to be rotating as offer easy access when the side doors open

Exterior 01 x Partition Screen & Storage

Initial sketches for allocating space for storage, accomodating partition screen and visualising the overall shape and proportions for the vehicle

Concept 01 - Privacy

Rotating Seats

Cardboard Iterations → Illustration Basic illustration showcasing of how rotating seats with partitions can help create both - social and private environment as need be.

First Sketch Rotating Seat

Second Sketch Rotating Seats

Exploring Forms for Seating

These sketches were done to explore soft shapes and forms for the seats which will set a look and feel for the deliver stage. Here the idea was to make these look friendly and harmless to create a comforting environment inside the vehicle. This needs further refinement and form research.

Final Seating 01 (Rotating)

The final seating shows how rotating seats combined with movable partition could function. Here the objective was to start visualising and building the concept further before the refinement stage and CAD was to think not only about the function but also start working towards the aesthetic of the chosen concepts. This will help develop and contribute towards the deliver submission.

Concept 02 - Summon Checkpoints

Early Ideation: System

Concept: Communication + Summon Checkpoints

Here I started imagining Autonomous Vehicles as eels function in water. The analogy reflects how each AV can attract or repel each other when need be to create a more managed traffic system which could potentially support itself. The Map illustration showcase how each AV can respond to its region parameters to complete short and long journeys.It was proposed at this point that AVs belonging to “region 01” will only function in defined area of 01 and will have to make a switch with an AV of “region 02” to travel long distances.

Summon Checkpoints Further development on how the interface of summon points could work, here explored using a dial and digital interface which sits on top of the hail spot dial.

Further Development: System

Final Development: System

Concept 03 - Accessible Seating

Exploration Sketches

Accessible Seating

Here I explore different seating options which can either provide or promote accessibility into the vehicle and accomodate for wheelchair users.

Foldable Seats (Accessibility)

One of the concept was off accommodating partial seating within the interior space. The seat facilitates a foldable element which tucks under a small section running at the bottom of the backrest. They both together allows room for wheelchair access by minimizing the seat size, which can allow for an additional seat for a care taker.

Exterior

Initial Sketches: Access and Communication

Exterior 01 x Access - Ideating and visualising vehicle exterior based on facilitating increased access to the chosen seating layout.

Further Development...

Exterior 01 x Access Side Access for the vehicle x Exterior 01

Exterior 02 x Access Front and Rear Access x Exterior 02

Project Direction at this Stage

01 Refine the system for the vehicle to operate in.

02 Communication with Pedestrians + Other vehicles.

03 Pick exterior based on access → Refinement

04 Pick seating based on accessibility and Privacy → Refinement 05 Develop CAD and Storyboards