Autonomous vehicles offer incredible promise. Morgan Stanley has estimated $5.6 trillion in worldwide safety, fuel conservation and productivity savings from autonomous cars. For the driver and passenger, it’s the promise to get more out of the journey than ever before.
At Lextant, we have spent the last 10 years researching the car of the future at our Automotive Research Facility. Our focus has been on understanding what will actually happen when technology is in the driver’s seat and using research to uncover the characteristics that will define future interior experiences.
What we have found is that the autonomous interior will need to meet three key needs:
First, the need to connect.
This includes connecting both with people and with the world around you. It is about being able to be present in the environment and also being able to build relationships.
Second, the need to collaborate or be productive.
The interior will need to make it easy to get work done.
And third, the need to “collect” or relax.
This need might be met by the ergonomics of the seat or with mood music, lighting or temperature.
In some ways, these needs are no different than the needs of passengers today. However, when the person is in the driving seat, you also need to convince them that it is OK to let the car take over.