Kansei Design approach applied to new concept development stage: Establishing communication between automated driving vehicles and their surroundings

This paper aims to exemplify the use and added-value of kansei design approach to new concept development. It discussed the process followed and tools used during a master degree research [1]. This research is investigating how to improve the user experience of pedestrians encountering self-driving vehicles. It will discuss what is needed for pedestrians encountering self-driving vehicles to comprehend that they have been perceived and what is the car intention or advice to them. Two aspects will be covered: firstly, what needed is to establish a communication channel, so a message can be conveyed successfully and efficiently to the surrounding, and secondly finding minimum required information to raise trust into new technologies communicating perceiving, intention, and suggestion of an autonomous vehicle. Applying Kansei design approach to new concept development lead as to creating a novel light communication language in order to convey a message content to a pedestrian. It relied on a literature review, creativity workshops defining potentially critical situations and creating mutual understanding within the design team and of an iterative process of concept creation, rapid prototyping, and evaluation.