Motional has a neat blog post that describes several subtle features they’re incorporating to improve the passenger experience.
One theme I notice is trying to communicate features to users both in the mobile app and also on the vehicle. Different passengers will presumably respond better to cues in different places.
For example, the Motional app will work with the vehicle to make sure each passenger gets in the correct car.
“If a rider can’t find their vehicle, we’re exploring ways to help them locate their ride, such as using their phone to tell the robotaxi to flash its lights or honk its horn. Passengers may also be able to locate their ride by matching an identifier on their phone — a number, for example — to the same identifier shown on an LED panel on the vehicle’s exterior.”
Motional is also offering passengers several buttons that call a human customer support representative.
Importantly, the vehicles will be accessible to a wide range of passengers, through features like Braille, raised shapes, and physical buttons to complement touch screens.
There’s lots of other human-centered design features and ideas in the post, as well. Worth a read!
David Silver 