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Focus | User interfaces Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Osman Dumbuya at Incari, Guido Meier-Arendt at Continental, and experts at Elektrobit for their help with researching this article. Swedish study “Driver Interfaces for Electric Vehicles”, by Helena Stromberg and MariAnne Karlsson at Chalmers University, Goteborg, and Pontus Andersson, Susanne Almgren, Johan Ericsson and Arne Nabo, at Saab Automobile. something different,” he adds. “The industry has to align what we understand about ergonomics with how it should be interpreted, and then I think we will get more standardisation.” Roles for AI AI will play an important part in EV interfaces, the HMI expert says, especially in range management and in building trust. “Reliable range calculation is an important enabler for EVs,” he says. “Range calculation algorithms are adaptive and based on learning systems that draw on cloud- based information.” For that, he says, connecting the vehicle with the infrastructure is extremely important. “The range calculator needs to know where there are charging stations that are working and not currently occupied,” he says. “That, in conjunction with cloud- based services such as booking and payment, will become a significant trend.” The UX software provider expects AI to be incorporated into advanced technologies that track EV drivers’ eye movements, recognise and accommodate different drivers, identify changes in emotions or expressions, and respond appropriately. “If a driver seems inattentive, for example, AI-enabled sensors might send an alert or trigger Level 4 or Level 5 autonomous driving functionality,” he says. As well as assisting drivers and other occupants through the vehicle interface, AI is also expected to help engineers design new interfaces, the HMI development platform provider says. “We expect to have AI help the designer, who comes up with smart proposals for what the UI should look like and how it should function before building up all the details,” he says. So the designer can have the big idea of the interface’s overall look and philosophy – perhaps one that is minimalist or, in contrast, overwhelming, for example – and decide on some of the functionalities it should have. “The AI can then start to build up the executions you need behind these functionalities, so AI can write the software code for a proposed interface’s functions,” the provider says. “That reduces the workload for developers, who can then focus on new ideas. Here, AI can assist a lot, where you set the direction and it basically builds up the functionalities in the background.” He describes his company’s HMI development platform as a set of tools that helps designers and engineers to create interfaces easily, and with functional implementation of software code that can control the motors and sensors in the car. “It allows you to implement the complex, futuristic interfaces with highly dynamic graphics very quickly, not just as a concept but as a working product,” he explains. “All car makers are grappling with the complexities of bringing together the software, hardware, electronics, interfaces and controls, graphics and other elements necessary for these advanced systems,” the UX software expert says. “It can be extremely difficult for automakers to assemble all the diverse expertise needed to optimise the entire cockpit environment.” With EVs in particular, he adds, manufacturers need to make the right multi-disciplinary trade-offs, such as performance versus power consumption, and make choices that are good for the system as a whole. “While aesthetics and infotainment features are critical, the cockpit must also be carefully engineered to deliver robust performance under real-world operating conditions,” he says. Implemented well, HUD systems incorporating reality augmentation fed by the car’s sensors and data from external networks promise significant increases in driver situational awareness and safety (Courtesy of Continental) 72 Autumn 2022 | E-Mobility Engineering