BMW Designworks tasked us with designing an intuitive and appealing on-demand autonomous mobility experience that addresses accessibility and inclusivity for diverse users. Through research, we identified a major problem: elderly individuals often rely heavily on caregivers for transportation due to physical limitations and inaccessibility. This dependence on caregivers reduces their sense of independence and leads to social isolation and missed important events. We focused specifically on the gap in autonomous mobility solutions that are unusable to users who are not tech-savvy or physically able to use them. The biggest challenge we faced was designing an experience that didn’t rely on physical interaction, but rather what we would come to learn is ideally voice interaction.
Our research revealed that nearly 90% of older adults who choose to stay at home over a facility require accessible and reliable transportation options. This led us into a deep dive on elderly individuals and their caregivers, and we discovered a common fear of using unfamiliar technology and a strong desire to keep their independence. We found difficulties with using smartphones, touchscreens, and navigating rideshare apps. This then guided our next research phase into mobility solutions. Through empathy and journey maps, we found that the elderly needed easy methods of communicating with an app, the simplicity of ordering a ride-share, and the safety of knowing nothing would go wrong. Through a mid-fidelity app created with Figma, we got feedback and knew the exact direction we had to continue on. After a final round of prototype testing and feedback, we knew we had our solution.
Our final solution is Wheelie, a voice-activated mobility service designed to give elderly users the freedom to call, ride, and exit an autonomous vehicle safely and independently. Wheelie uses a primarily voice-interactable system paired with a clear and easy-to-use visual display that avoids using any complex screens. Each screen uses large type, strong contrast, and bright colors, along with a hands-free vocal interaction. Once a user confirms a ride, they can share the itinerary they created with anyone. The live itinerary will allow the user to feel secure throughout the day with the comfort of loved ones and be able to monitor if anything goes wrong. The itinerary can also be modified easily through drag-and-drop interfaces. By the end of Wheelie’s creation, we were able to use autonomous vehicles to help elderly individuals become more independent of their caregivers.
Our first step during our research was to field test current autonomous vehicles with the goal in mind of finding accessibility barriers, finding trust with the technology, and seeing inclusive digital & physical designs. Our findings for three moments along the ride can be shown below:
Before the Ride (Pre-Boarding Issues)
During the Ride (Experience Inside the Car)
After the Ride (Exiting & Post-Ride)
We explored trends with autonomous vehicles along with competitor innovators like Zoox, Waymo, and Uber. Our findings gave us direction in the form of guiding questions that led our next steps. The most important question is ‘What are the key accessibility challenges faced by elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and those without personal vehicles when using current mobility services.
We explored trends with autonomous vehicles along with competitor innovators like Zoox, Waymo, and Uber. Our findings gave us direction in the form of guiding questions that led our next steps. The most important question is ‘What are the key accessibility challenges faced by elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and those without personal vehicles when using current mobility services.
