Winning in the digital age with software-first car development [Part 2] The user experience in car software that cannot be ignored anymore
In Part 1 , we introduced software development in today’s automotive industry, where digitization is accelerating. This time, I would like to consider the future of automotive software from the perspective of “user experience.”
There is no doubt that software greatly enhances the added value of automobiles for users in various aspects. The part that will have a particularly large impact will be the user interface (UI), centered on the digital display screen, and the user experience (UX) through it.
How to design, realize and implement screen UI such as instrument cluster, center cluster, head-up display, and UX – these issues cannot be avoided in future automobile development.
In the development of PC and smartphone applications, web content, etc., efforts are being made to increase the attractiveness of products by devising UI/UX. The importance of UI/UX is increasing for many home appliances as well. The number of functions implemented by software has increased rapidly, and automobiles, which are becoming “smart devices,” are in the same trend.
The design and animation of in-vehicle digital screens, sound and voice input/output responses, etc. are all important elements that are closely related to the design and functions of the entire vehicle. A comprehensive UI/UX design that embodies the concept of the brand and car model is required.
For example, the driver and passengers feel familiarity and peace of mind, the driver feels the joy of operating the car, and the screen can be switched according to the driving mode to change the mood. You can think of it. Of course, mobile apps that work with vehicles through connected technology are also required to have UI/UX designs that are in line with the concept of the brand and vehicle model.
What is required of UI/UX for automobile safety
UI/UX in automobiles is not complete with just a screen. For example, just looking at the input from the user, there are various means such as touch operation on the screen, voice recognition, and various switches arranged from the steering wheel to the console. The output from the system side is also diverse, and in addition to voice responses to voice input, a number of output means are used other than the screen, such as vibrating the steering wheel so that the driver can easily notice notifications and warnings. Masu.
While using these diverse inputs and outputs, the most important thing is safety. In UI/UX, the most important thing is to convey information to the driver accurately and in an easy-to-understand manner, leading to the safety of the driver and surroundings.
Due to the digitization of the instrument cluster, in addition to instrument information, navigation system route and direction guidance, vehicle sensor information, ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) / automatic driving system operation status and more information can now be included. However, compared to analog instrument clusters, it is essential to devise ways to organize and communicate the significantly increased amount of information.
The design of the screen composition and display contents becomes difficult as the amount of information increases. It is not practical to fit all the displays on the limited screen of the instrument cluster. Not only can the display be switched by the driver’s operation, the instrument cluster and center cluster can be interlocked, or the large horizontal screen can be used to move less important information to the far side from the driver’s seat. It is necessary to devise such as automatically switching the display.
From the point of view of security, high quality is also required in software development and implementation. In addition to industry standards regarding vehicle safety, there are strict regulations in each country/region’s laws and regulations, so it is also necessary to comply with them. These requirements have a great impact on the management of the entire development project, including reviews and tests. It can be said that there is a demand for flexible and rapid software development that makes full use of IT industry methods and advanced project management, which was touched on in the first part .
“Digital Cockpit” Solution Proposed by DXC Technology
In the IT industry, there are various frameworks and middleware that are useful for UI/UX design, design, and development. Some of them can be used in the automotive industry, and some have been modified for the automotive industry.
In areas other than UI/UX, a wide variety of tools such as OS and software development platforms are also available for the automotive industry. Maximizing the use of these tools is effective in improving the flexibility, speed, and quality of software development.
DXC Technology Japan collaborates with Luxoft, a group company, as a “digital cockpit” solution, from UI / UX concept creation to digital cockpit PoC, software design / implementation / evaluation for mass production, related OS and We provide support across the entire platform, including hardware, mobile and cloud. We have a wide range of cooperation from concept cars to mass-produced cars for major automobile OEMs, mainly in Europe. We hope that Japanese automakers will also use the “digital cockpit” solution for next-generation automobile user experience.
