Instrument Cluster Interaction Ideas and Prototypes (2014)
Tools:: Processing, depth cameras, speech recognition
Before joining Mercedes-Benz, I played around with some interaction ideas that were inspired by the technology I used at Intel.
Goals
- Rely more on physical memory, less on memory of abstract interactions
- Fewer interaction steps / more transient interactions
- Discoverable interactions
So I came up with two interaction paradigms and built rough but functional prototypes for them. I imagined as if the vehicles had a depth camera that could understand driver's body and hand motions.
Lean to Peek
I imagined this "lean" interaction as a way to peek behind the current layer of the UI. It could be used to provide quick access to something you just need to check on quickly. Alternatively, it could be a way to discover all other available menus. In this case, the leaning becomes the context for further interaction (e.g. if I lean to the left, the left menu can be changed with a button on the steering wheel).
Point and Speak
What if you could point at something at the vehicle and inquire about it or even interact with it? Just like you would ask a person...
For example, you could point at a button and ask what does this do? (button icons are becoming more and more cryptic). Or you could even interact with objects by pointing at them and speaking.