Xinran Cheng

Observation

At Sunset

At Night

On the Highway

Road signs become unclear under strong sunlight.

Bright sunlight from the setting sun on the return trip affects visibility from the right-hand side.

In this observation, we chose the environment as nighttime driving in consideration of the elderly's vision problems.

At night, reduced visibility makes lane lines hard to see.

There were many road signs on the highway to remind drivers to be ready to get off the highway.

high speeds make it challenging for drivers to change lanes in time based on map prompts.

Secondary Research

Background

Overview

Driving is essential in America, where many elderly individuals are behind the wheel. Lane changing, while routine, is highly visual and one of the most hazardous driving maneuvers, with over 250,000 accidents in the United States each year caused by lane-change error, leading to significant accidents annually. Recognizing that older adults often struggle with and face greater risks during lane changes, there is a pressing need for specialized driving aids.

Therefore, We are inspired to develop an AR-assisted driving system specifically for the elderly, aiming to bolster their safety and assurance during lane transitions, with UI interfaces displayed by a glasses. This innovative system will integrate AR glasses with intelligent navigation, offering clear driving cues and interactive features to assist elders in making safer lane changes.

Queationnaire

Results

Highway is a difficult scenario

Need to Be informed of the lane change timing

Changing lanes is indeed difficult

Too many cars

Interview Question

1. How old are you?

A. 16 - 25

B. 26 - 35

C. 36 - 45

D. 46 - 55

E. 56 - 65

F. 66 +

2. How many miles do you commonly drive in a year?

A. 0 - 4,999 miles

B. 5,000 - 9,999 miles

C. 10,000 - 14,999 miles

D. 15,000 - 19,999 miles

E. 20,000+ miles

3. How many miles have you drive in the United States？

0 - 1499 miles

1,500 - 3,999 miles

4,000 - 6,999 miles

7,000 - 14,999 miles

15,000+ miles

4. What physical factors impact you the most when driving?

Vision

Hearing

Body movement

Others

5. In what situations do you often change lanes? (Multiple Selections)

Turn left/ right

Overtake other cars (change lane and return to the previous lane)

Slowing down

Exit from the highway

Merge traffic

Avoid obstacles

Get out of congested lanes

Others ()

6. How often do you find yourself having difficulties changing lanes during a typical drive?

Always

Frequently

Occasionally

Rarely

Almost never

7. Which of these do you find difficult in lane changing? (Multiple Selections)

Notice lane markings in advance

Measure the distances between cars

Remember to turn on the lighting

Ensure vehicle speed

Follow the car navigation in time

Decide when to change lanes

Others ()

8. What causes your lane change to fail? (Multiple Selections)?

Distraction

Overcrowded lanes (Inadequate gap)

Aggressive driving (Other cars don’t allow)

Vehicle in the blind spot

Misjudgement (Wrong lane change decision)

Others

9. Which assistive methods that you have used are effective in lane changing? (Multiple Selections)

Rearview mirror

Mobile phone screen navigation

Car display navigation

Reminder from fellow passengers

Lane markings

Automatic driving system

Others ()

10. How confident are you in making the decision to change lanes? [On a scale of 1-5, 1-very unconfident, 5-very confident]

11. How much does rainy and snowy weather affect you when changing lanes? [On a scale of 1-5, 1-no impact, 5-significant impact]

12. Have you experienced any discomfort or anxiety while changing lanes? If so, please describe.

-Yes [Blank]

-No

User Research Insights

Vision is key for lane changing, involving navigation, road signs, and vehicle observation.

Elderly with visual issues find lane changing more difficult.

High speeds on highways make lane changing and exiting harder.

Drivers use rearview mirrors more than high-tech aids for lane changing.

Lane change decisions cause confusion; increasing driver confidence is key.

Design opportunities exist in driver accessories like glasses and phone holders, with potential for improvement.

Drivers need more assistance during rain or snow.

Voice assistance is useful during lane changes, as vision is occupied.

Most lane changes are for exits, turns, or overtaking, needing attention.

Lane changes often cause driver discomfort or anxiety.

Triangulated Insights

Design Priority

68%

2000

2020

13%

48 million drivers are 65 years old in the United States, which is 29% of total.

13% of fatal accidents involved by drivers over 65 years old.

Drivers who are over 65 years old increased by 68% from 2000 to 2020.

Though older drivers may have fewer actual crashes per year than that of the younger drivers, since they drive fewer miles, they actually experience average more crashes per mile driven.

Driving

Inclusive Design

Safety

This group includes elderly drivers who have minor visual impairments, such as early cataracts or slight difficulties in low light. Their driving is not heavily impacted, but they can benefit from minor assistive tools.

Elderly drivers who regularly drive in urban environments with heavy traffic and complex road systems. They require solutions that help them navigate busy streets and frequent lane changes.

Sub-Segment 1:

Elderly Drivers with Mild Visual Impairment

Core Users

A Large Group

Blur, Glare, Night Vision ...

Frequently Take the Highway

Frequently Attend Social Activities

Sub-Segment 2:

Frequent Urban Elderly Drivers

01 Research

Lane Chaning Assistance for the Elderly

Smart AR system design for elderly drivers in changing lanes safely and comfortably.

How might we assist elderly American drivers with visual impairments to change lanes safely and comfortably in a multi-sensory way, fitting into driving habits?

Design Question

Persona

02 Ideation

Brainstorming

We used Scenarios, Sketches, Storyboards and Walkthroughs to ideate and discuss our prototype’s shape, functions and system.

Storyboard

Sketch A - Helen

Sketch B - George

Sketch C - Robert

The sequence of images captures a day in the life of a commuter. There are no apparent interventions to reduce the stress or complexity of his commute, such as advanced driver-assistance systems, suggesting the importance of external assistance factors in the driving experience.

The scene depicts the driver's struggle with intense light. Lane-changing glasses serve dual purposes: providing navigational aid and shielding the eyes like sunglasses.

For elderly individuals who value their independence, discreet aids like these glasses reduce feelings of vulnerability associated with aging, blending functionality with an everyday accessory.

This scene depicts a driver in heavy traffic congestion. The assistance system alerts them to change lanes by displaying a projection interface in front of them with a UI showing a symbol to move to the right.

Upon seeing this, the driver begins to change lanes. This method of visual enhancement reminds the driver to change lanes when necessary, enhancing the driving experience and helping the driver reach their destination more efficiently, providing an effective and immersive experience.

Paper Prototyping & Physical Model

Based on the three scenarios above, I detailed the steps a driver should take during a lane change, including checking mirrors, signaling, adjusting speed, and turning off the signal post-maneuver, making the AR scene design flow clear.

The paper propotyping is brought to life through paper sketches and further developed into physical models using 3D printing and cardboard, indicating a design process that transitions from virtual UI concepts to tangible user interfaces.

Technology Components & Justifications

OLED-Based HUD: Projects clear driving data via OLED for visibility in all conditions, aiding those with visual impairments.

3D Spatial Audio System: Uses binaural audio for spatial cues, crucial for directional awareness.

Tactile Haptic Feedback: Implements piezoelectric actuators for immediate vibrational feedback, aiding lane departure awareness.

Wide-Angle HD Smart Mirror: Delivers HD camera views on a digital display, enhancing visual field and reducing glare.

LIDAR Lane Change Assistant: Provides real-time assistance with LIDAR for safe lane changes by detecting nearby traffic.

NLP Voice Interface: Employs NLP for an intuitive voice command system, easing use for elderly drivers.

Adaptive UI: Adapts to user behavior with ML, improving accessibility for impairments.

AR Training App: Offers immersive training with AR overlays, simulating driving scenarios for practice.

API Platform: Integrates with third-party services via open APIs for system enhancement.

FPGA Control Unit: Allows rapid hardware reconfiguration with FPGA, updating capabilities without full redesigns.

Testing Task

Task 1: UI Navigation

Task 2: Personalization Settings

Task 3: Comfort Assessment of Glasses

Task 4: Highway Driving Simulation

Task 5: Adjusting to Bright Glare

Task 6: Managing Fatigue During Long Drives

Task 7: Temporary Voice Setting During Driving

User Feedback

Usability Test Notes

Icon Design: Simplify navigation and mode icons, adding clear text for better user clarity.

Personalization Settings: Keep existing settings; users find them clear and essential.

Glasses Comfort: Retain the glasses' design for their ergonomic fit and style.

Auditory Cues: Offer setup options to customize voice content, avoiding user fatigue.

Lane Change Display: Streamline indicators, prioritize information, and use clear directional cues.

Voice Commands: Enhance system for shorter, more effective inputs and provide usage guidance.

User testing to check the virtual UI layout, the glasses’ ergonomics, the control methods, and the voice reminder...

To evaluate the ergonomics and shape design of our smart device's physical component, we created a model of AR glasses and used 3D printing to produce the framework of it. Participants can be asked to wear the frame during the test. Additionally, we crafted buttons and sliders from cardboard, incorporating them into the 3D-printed glasses to simulate operational controllers.

Paper

Virtual UI

Physical Glasses

System Voice

Lane Changing

Suggestions

Home Page ...

3D Printing & Cardboard

Human Voice

UI of

Feature Function

UI of

Basic Function

03 Usability Evaluation

We use three different forms of low-fidelity models to achieve our testing purposes.

Physical Models:

3D-printed physical glasses can relatively accurately test the user's ergonomic experience when wearing them. Using cardboard to make buttons and sliders can provide a faster way to get the user's posture when operating the button and their comfort in the corresponding posture.

Paper Prototyping:

Paper is used to create virtual interfaces for two reasons. Firstly, the size of our virtual interface is expected to be similar to the size of A4 paper; secondly, we hope to test users' feelings about the interface layout and various traffic signal communication methods. Using paper for this purpose is not only time-efficient but also yields results comparable to those from more time-intensive electronic versions.

Human-voiced Simulations:

The main reason for using the human voice to simulate the voice system is that it is a simple and efficient testing method. The test effect is similar to that of making an electronic voice system. It can test the user's reaction and feeling when they hear voice feedback while driving.

How to interact with the display screen

Through hand gestures you can tap and manipulate the interface, the UI changes dynamically with your hand movements

Step1

Step2

Step3

Press Hold

Tap

Swipe