Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications

AutoNUI dilemma: to drive or not to drive?
Mario Chiesa
Istituto Superiore Mario Boella
via P.C. Boggio 61
10138 Torino - ITALY
+39 011 2276 403
chiesa@ismb.it
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we briefly describe our position and our
recent activities in the domain of automotive interfaces and
natural user interfaces, distinguishing between UI directly
related driving tasks and UI devoted to other tasks.
Keywords
Automotive, NUI, natural user interfaces, driving.
DEFINITION OF NATURAL USER INTERFACES
In literature [1] [2], natural user interfaces (NUIs) refer to
UIs that are effectively invisible, or become invisible with
few learned interactions to its users. NUIs rely on a user
being able to quickly evolve from novice to expert. The
learning is typically easy and fast because users have to
execute relatively natural motions, movements or gestures
that they quickly discover how to control the application or
manipulate the on-screen content. Not necessarily NUIs are
mimicries of nature or of already existing gestures ‘outside’
the UIs. The aim is to obtain an interface that can be
perceived by users as ‘natural’, that means in other words:
(1) self-consistent, or with a strong and direct relationship
with actions, effects and feedbacks made available through
the interface itself; (2) unobtrusive, or seamlessly
integrated with other users’ actions and perceptions in the
same environment and at the same time; (3) not artificial,
or not acted through commands hard to understand, learn,
recall.
TWO AREAS OF INVESTIGATION
We identify at least two main areas for automotive UI:
(A) the area strictly related to the task of driving,
(B) the area NOT strictly related to the task of driving.
UI FOR DRIVING
In the former, we can identify systems and controls at three
different layers: (A1) directly related with basic driving
Copyright held by author(s)
AutomotiveUI'11, November 29-December 2, 2011,
Salzburg, Austria.
Antonio Solinas
Akhela Srl
Sesta Strada Ovest - Z.I. Macchiareddu
09010 Uta (Cagliari) - ITALY
+39 070 24661505
antonio.solinas@akhela.com
tasks (like steering wheels, pedals, shift levers, etc.); (A2)
controlling driving assistive systems (to set parameters for
traction controls, shock absorbers, brakes controls, etc.);
(A3) supporting and enhancing drivers’ reactions and
behaviors (in real-time, like in distraction-detection
systems, or in the long period, like in eco-drive supporting
systems).
UI NOT FOR DRIVING
In the latter, we can further consider several UIs for some
domain-specific areas: (B1) in-car entertainment (CD and
MP3 players, multimedia systems for backseats, etc.) , (B2)
in-car environment (air conditioning, lights controls, seats
positioning, etc.), (B3) integration with personal devices
(mobile phones, consoles, tablets, etc.) , (B4) integration
with networks and services (communication networks,
social networks, meteo and traffic services, etc.).
OUR ACTIVITIES
We are involved in a team with industry partners, currently
working (1) in a funded applied-research project and (2) in
the proposal writing for a second one, currently under
evaluation. The project currently on going is focused on
the area (A) of automotive UI, while the one under
evaluation is on the area (B). In the next paragraphs we
summarize the research topics being addressed by the two
projects.
NUI FOR ENHANCING DRIVERS PERFORMANCE
Between setting up systems that can substitute drivers in
controlling some aspects of the car behavior (A2) and being
part of systems that can measure and support drivers’
behaviors (A3), a current trend is to design systems being
able to enhance drivers’ perception, but leaving to
themselves the control of the car. Good examples of those
systems are iOnRoad by picitub [3] and Augmented
Driving by imaGinyze [4]. Interacting with a system that is
enhancing your personal senses should be obviously (and
better) done through natural user interfaces. One possible
approach, a part the examples given, that are using mobile
devices as both application platform and user interface, is