OTTO: A Virtual Assistant FOR LYFT’S SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES

OTTO is a virtual assistant designed to help Lyft passengers enjoy their ride by creating meaningful experiences and interactions.

DESIGN CHALLENGE

In the context of growing movement toward driverless cars, our design brief asked for a fully-interactive virtual assistant for use in-vehicle. With a vision for the year 2025 and beyond, and a focus on conversational UI, we designed a multimodal transportation experience that is A.I. driven yet still feels human and personal.

How do people currently interact with their cars? How might they prefer to engage with their cars in the future? In what ways might the rise of autonomous vehicles intersect with emerging AI technologies? How might these trends be most effectively utilized? In what way might brand identity (Lyft) interact with form and function to create a positive emotional experience for the user? These and many other questions formed the basis of our design process and research.

OBJECTIVES

• Create a user interface to support conversational interactions between passengers and vehicle

• Identify brands that will likely adopt autonomous vehicle technology and consider how these near-future technologies might disrupt their current business and service models

• Through design research methodologies, provide viable adaptations to existing services models to include self-driving/autonomous vehicles

• Consider what role human factors will play in adopting autonomous vehicles for existing transportation services

CONSTRAINTS

• Must leverage voice assistant interactions

• Set in the near future (i.e., 2025 — 2035)

• Central focus on passenger vehicle experience

DESIGN PROCESS

Exploratory RESEARCH

According to our research, use of app-based travel (Uber, Lyft, via, etc.) has significantly increased in the past few years, far surpassing use of traditional taxi services. In addition, use of extremely short distance app-based rides appears to be the new norm. With the emergence of self-driving vehicle technology and artificial intelligence, we anticipate a future where app-based rides are fully automated. Our secondary research points to the obstacle of trusting driverless cars is driven by concern about safety and reliability; while these concerns are valid, a perception shift is also necessary to overcome the awkward experience of riding a vehicle devoid of human control. Our team explored methods of interaction that might simulate the person-to-person interactions found in present-day ride sharing experiences.

In our review of the literature as well as interviews with stakeholders, we identified a primary pain point on the topic of autonomous vehicles: nervousness around trust and reliability. Based on this as well as market research, we were also able to narrow our focus to an ideal user of urban commuters aged 25-35 years old. From here, we were able to attempt to clarify our client’s clients’ desires toward assuaging their fears.

RIDER NEEDS

Daily commuters living in metro region, age 25 — 35 years old:

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

The feeling of Lyft OTTO is…

• Authentic

  Provide genuine responses and informative animations to communicate consistently with passengers

• Personal

  Make each journey unique, while also tailoring for personal preferences

• Responsive

  Sensitive to silence and direct interactions, OTTO responds quickly and engages with passengers

JOURNEY MAP

We used journey maps to clarify our UX design, accounting for rider’s needs, and considering how verbal communication can aid in building confidence and trust with a driverless experience.

BRAND ALIGNMENT

The Voice UI conforms to the visual language of Lyft’s brand, leveraging the same “Lyft pink” and bold circular arches

SPECULATIVE DESIGN

From the quirky “carstache” to the modern and sleek “Lyft Amp” we designed an interface that continues this transformation.

NEXT GENERATION LYFT AMP

Through multiple iterations, we designed a Voice UI interface that replaces the traditional rearview mirror. The iconic Lyft Amp is even further integrated into the vehicle. Adding a high resolution display and including an interactive voice assistant, passengers can focus their attention to a specific physical device, creating the same feedback dynamic passengers have with human drivers.

USER EXPERIENCe

Every OTTO Lyft features an in-vehicle display and leverages visual and auditory feedback to provide passengers with a multimodal user experience.

The next-generation Lyft Amp provides visual feedback, while the vehicle speakers work in concert to create a conversational UI that feels present. When you speak to the OTTO Amp, you’ll know that your virtual driver is listening.