What if Artificial Intelligence could improve your mood while driving?
The project
Moodlight is a project developed by Altran that looks to manage the optimal mood for driving, through advanced sensing technologies, artificial intelligence and driver sensory stimulation.
My role
I drove the whole design process, working with neuroscientists, programmers and mechanical engineers.
I designed experimental UI to show drivers mood on innovative HMI device for vehicles, also took charge of mobile app design, UX and prototype testing.
Cognitive sensors
Driver’s mood is analysed combining several techniques that merge in machine learning algorithms to define driver’s arousal and valence values.
Stimulus actuators
Sensory stimulation combines ambient color lighting, music aroma and hand stimulation, also through machine learning algorithm to adapt vehicle response to each user, in a continous learning process.
Cognitive technology
Artificial intelligence and cognitive computing is required for mood detection and continuous learning of driver reactions for adapted stimulation. Neuroscience techniques were used to analyze user state of mind.
Map of emotions
Measuring arousal (how energize or enervated the experience feels) and valence (how negative or positive it feels) give information about the user´s emotion and allow to vectorize it to find the optimal mood. In this way, the system know what color, song and aroma is the appropriate for each moment.
The interface
A experimental way to show drivers mood and what the vehicle is doing for improving it while driving.
Soul
How to represent a mood?
“SOUL” is an animated sphere that represents drivers emotions & mood, which changes according to received data and provides real-time feedback. After a lot of brainstorming and sketching, an animation is created for visualize each mood.
The main idea is fast movements – aggressive forms when the arousal increases and more slow animations – organic shapes for higher valence. A neutral mood is represented with a smooth animated sphere.
Soul animation transition example from excited mood to neutral.
Ideation sketches – how to show emotion on animated sphere (soul)
MOODI
The Mood Display. An innovative device to show drivers mood.
What is it?
In Moodlight, driver doesn’t interact with the system, just sit and let the AI do the rest. As a prototype project, it became necessary to think about some way to show driver what is Moodlight doing.
The MOODI is a device placed over the car dashboard that make this possible.
Technology
I designed and developed the device, collaborating with the mechanical team. Inside the MOODI, there is a micro projector with a fisheye, both make possible to display a bigger image on a plastic piece with a special film, through retroprojection.
MOODI is a futuristic alternative to classic screens.
© 2021 Javier Fernández Iglesia. All rights reserved.