Epath

Entertaining educational AR experience for children in a Ford autonomous car in 2030 (2018), TU Delft, Advanced Concept Design Proejct forFord Research and Innovation Center, Germany

Three kids sitting on a car, playing by making a ridiculous face expressions to each other

Educational Application for Autonomous Vehicles for Children Users in 2030

The Ford Research Center aims to promote the use of autonomous vehicles by 2030. Against this backdrop, I focused on how the shift from individual vehicle owners to autonomous mobility service users will lead to the emergence of new user personas.As the use of autonomous vehicles increases, the necessity for fully automated driving operations, excluding urgent situations, will rise, making it easier for drivers to travel in high-level autonomous vehicles and pay more attention to activities other than driving. This change suggests that vehicles will transform into new spaces that offer different experiences from those of traditional cars.In this context, I proposed an in-car application called E-Path, designed to assist children in learning through AR graphics.

A diagram showing the vision of Ford towards the year of 2030

A technology to bend screens in different ways; bending, folding, rolling

By combining images captured by cameras attached to the vehicle with computer vision, the app effectively detects objects encountered on the road. It also provides information about these objects through GPS-based data, allowing children to explore their surroundings and satisfy their curiosities.Furthermore, by applying transparent display screens to the vehicle windows, children can enjoy continuous and engaging education as they are offered additional information about the objects detected by the AR graphics.