The Challenges in Developing a Usable Automotive Interface
Exploring the challenges of developing a usable automotive interface with a broad / diversified customer, complicated feature configurations, etc. Review the UConnect Touch implementation is an example of successfully addressing these challenges.
2011 World Usability Day - Teresa Hodder - Chrysler Group LLC.
1. CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
The Challenges of Developing a
Usable Automotive Interface
Teresa Hodder
Advance Vehicle Engineering Organization; HMI
November 10, 2011
2. Proposed Agenda: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
• What is HMI at Chrysler
• User
• Customer Wants
• Ensuring that HMI has a Voice in the Decision Making Process
• Uconnect Touch
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3. What is HMI @ Chrysler? CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
Human Machine Interface (HMI)
Ergonomics
• Anthropometry
• Visibility
• Accessibility
• Efforts
Cognitive Reasoning
• Usability
• Functional grouping
• Workload management including driver
distraction
• Menu navigation
• Information processing
Systems Interaction
• Evaluate as an environment versus a
component
• Feature usage understanding
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4. Why focus on HMI? CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
Ensure all Interfaces are:
• Simple, Intuitive, and Easy to
Use
• Fit wide range of Persons
• Anthropometry
• Base to Tech User
• Children to Wiser
Generation
5. Customer Wants: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
What kind of
automotive customer
are you?
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6. Automotive User: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
• Personal Owners
• Temporary Loan
• Business Fleet
• Rental Vehicles
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7. Automotive User: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
• Traditional Automotive Demographics:
– Age: 0 – X
– Male & Female
– Previous Chrysler Owners / Non-Chrysler Owners
– Legal Eyesight to Drive
– All Shapes and Sizes
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9. Automotive Environment: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
• Significant changes in automotive environment can have a significant
impact on customer use cases, importance and frequency of use, i.e. …
– Climate – Very Hot to Very Cold
– Road Conditions – Dirt, Paved, Highway…
– Rural, Urban:
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10. Scalable and Aligned Interfaces: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
• Developing a scalable interface that can handle the complexity of
automotive feature / hardware line-ups can be challenging:
– Multiple Displays and Control Interaction Pointes
– With & Without Navigation
– With & Without Safety Features
– With & Without Comfort Features
– Etc.
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11. Ensuring that HMI has a Voice in the Decision
Making Process CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
HMI Manufacturing
Cost
Feature / Function
Weight Quality
Decision
Engineering
Feasibility Timing .....etc…..
Drive strategic decisions corporate wide for consistent, usable interfaces in Chrysler products.
17. UConnect Touch HMI Development Process CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
UConnect Touch has a
larger, less complicated
touch screen - driver
centric, first surface “short
cuts” enabling quicker
response times in a simple,
intuitive, easy to use
system…
Current Dodge Journey New Dodge Journey
“UConnect” (hands free)
buttons will be packaged on
our new corporate steering
wheel – driver not required
to “lean or glance” for
button actuation…
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18. UConnect Touch HMI Development Process CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
Design confidence gained from over 1000 non-Chrysler employees’ input through 30+ HMI User Tests
that started 3 years prior to Launch – implement Voice of Customer, not Voice of Management
~3 year development process
Key Inputs
1) Ease of use
2) Minimize Driver
Distraction
3) Functional
Grouping of Alike
Controls
4) Simple Centerstack
Interfaces
5) Competitive
Benchmarking
6) Dissatisfaction with
UConnect Touch development process is
Non-functioning
Controls the foundation for all HMI interface
development (Cluster, EVIC, Rear Seat
Entertainment, Active Safety, etc.)
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