Non-visual pliability: a car entertainment system

In-drive Pliability
A non-visual entertainment system for the car

(download pdf)
Concept by
Pietro Desiato, Fredrik Johnsson, Daniel Karlsson

Abstract

Pliability is about shaping all kinds of information in order to give the user the sense of present and direct interaction. It is basically related to the visualization of data. We thought that this use-quality could be interesting for a entertainment system in a car where the user is presented a non-visual system. What is non-visual pliability? It is the property related to the non-visual information like audio, taste, touch, etc.

Our project is focused on the in-drive situation and on the entertainment system of the car. The objective has been to come up with a non-visual interaction model for the user to control the music and information system (incoming calls, GPS, alerts etc). For this concept we have worked on a single use case where the user browses through the music menu system and then listens to it while driving.

The problem has been studied from two main aspects: the input and the output.

The input

The input interface is the place of contact between driver and information. Actually, the driver can control the player through a set of buttons and visual menus. Only recently, the industry decided to put some quick buttons on the steering wheel. The problem of this is the limitation of the user since it forces the user an amount of visual attention.

Our solution is a non-visual system. It means that the interface is intended to prevent the user to require her visual attention. The user should be able to control the system by using her other senses. Some solutions propose the vocal input but we think that there are a lot of problems related to the speech recognition system and in a scenario were safety is a big issue it is better to think about something that does not take the users attention from the driving the car.

The sense we have decided use is the touch. Tradition tactile interfaces, i.e. touch screen, are on the market and they are functional. Moreover, creating a kind of tactile relation between driver and information is a good way to make the interaction pliable since the person feels in the control in her hand. The input interface is a tactile surface that can recognize the fingers movement like dragging. What we wanted was a surface that could allow the user to change system settings and browse music. For these reasons, the user should be able to control the input by the movements of the finger on the surface while the selection can be done with the thumb.

Shortcuts

It is important to give the user some shortcuts so that she can go back or use the most common functions in a quick way. For these reasons, we have thought that the four corners of the input surface could be set for the most important functions.

In addition, we noticed that the max safety is when the driver has both hands on the steering wheel. She should be able to control the system from this position, at least the main functions (new track and volume). There are, as we said, some solutions that try to solve this problem. We thought in the same direction (buttons on the steering wheel) but also trying to make the interaction more tactile and pliable. The solutions we propose for a quick control are two control settings: one scroller to control the volume (it could have a force feedback to know when the volume level is near to the max and makes is more difficult for the user to raise the volume even higher) and one selector to browse through the songs. They are set on the surface next to the steering wheel and respect the ergonomic of the hand and fingers that is not parallel to the steering wheel line.

The output

The navigational feedback is done with spatial audio. The menu is presented as a horizontal line of options where the user hears which the immediate options are and also the current centered selection. The actual presentation of the options for the user “vicinity” is done with the option to the right is played to the right of the user, the left is hence played on the left side likewise are the above and below options played. In our example the base of navigation is to use the entertainment system and hence play music.

While browsing, the system tells the user what options the user currently resides at and up to the max of four surrounding ways to navigate, while browsing through the music selection or radio stations. The user hears the one currently selected and then is presented with next in the right ear and the previous in the left ear. The system takes into account the possibility of passengers and thus giving them the same options for navigation of the entertainment system. The system works by providing speaker that project the sound so that only the one at that position can hear the audio. This enables for all passengers to have their own audio to listen to.

A scenario is a family with two children going on vacation. The children can each watch their own favorite DVD or listen to their favorite music without disturbing anyone else in the car. The driver can also be presented with information from the car that is not important to the rest of the passengers in the same manner.

User scenario

Johnny, male, in his early 30s, is going for a drive in his BMW. He enters the car and by turning on the ignition with the key the entertainment system turns on and welcomes Johnny:

“Welcome Johnny, please make a selection”

Johnny reaches for the “joystick” that is placed behind the shifting gear. The panel that’s surrounding the “joystick” is made in a rubbed surface so Johnny easy can sense his way to the controlling “joystick” or just get the notion that he is close to the “joystick”.

Johnny will now start to browse through the menu system which is based on a non visual system. By dragging the “joystick” one time to the right Johnny receives the feedback from the system that he now is in the artist menu:

“Artist menu, please make a selection”

Johnny browses through the different artists and for each and every artist the voice confirms which artist that is browsed in alphabetic order. When Johnny finds the artist that he wished to listen to he simply taps the “joystick” which functions as enter and the music starts playing. If Johnny wants to go to a previous menu he only drags the “joystick” in the opposite direction.

• Right – Next song, next menu, forward in the menu

• Left – Previous song, previous menu, back in the menu

• Up – Volume up, browsing artist up

• Down – Volume down, browsing artist down