We examine how people perceive visual properties of new concepts for the design of animated vehicle instrument clusters, with emphasis on aesthetic aspects. The project is placed in the context of animations for eco-conscious driving. It consists of two stages: Creating animations and studying drivers' reactions to them. Two studies were conducted which provide various insights regarding tradeoff in the design process and drivers' preferences. The second study also serves as a first step towards the study of people's aesthetic perceptions of in-vehicle animations.

The design of in-vehicle navigation systems fails to take into account the social nature of driving and automobile navigation. In this paper, we consider navigation as a social activity among drivers and navigators to improve design of such systems. We explore the implications of moving from a map-centered, individually-focused design paradigm to one based upon collaborative human interaction during the navigation task. We conducted a qualitative interaction design study of navigation among three types of teams: parents and their teenage children, couples, and unacquainted individuals. We found that collaboration varied among these different teams, and was influenced by social role, as well as the task role of driver or navigator. We also found that patterns of prompts, maneuvers, and confirmations varied among the three teams. We identify overarching practices that differ greatly from the literature on individual navigation. From these discoveries, we present design implications that can be used to inform future navigation systems.

It is well known that Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) improve pilot situational awareness and assist flight task performance, making them a firmly established flight deck technology in the Avionics domain. While similar technologies hold the promise ofbringing parallel benefits to the everyday driver, Automotive EVS is current a nascent technology for numerous reasons. In this presentation, a unique Automotive EVS system will be described and several concept applications will be reviewed. Subsequently, a set ofissues that emerge from the nature ofuser­ system interaction, the unique features of the automotive domain and associated system -ilities. Included in this discussion are aspects of system reliability, system availability, user acceptability, user adaptability and the important task ofbuilding user trust through reliable and hierarchical importance ranking and management of information presented on Automotive EVS. Speaker: Tom is the Lab Group Manager ofthe Human Machine Interface group within the Vehicle Development Research Lab at GM in Warren Michigan. He is responsible for developing next generation interfaces that enable safer, more efficient and pleasurable human interactions with GM vehicle interiors. This technical domain is comprised of User Centered Design process development, use of Design Language for brand differentiation and harmonious experience, in addition to the traditional focus of information management, display and control, and user human factors/usability testing. In addition to holding a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Northwestern University, Tom has an MBA from the University of Iowa. He began his career at the Rockwell Science Center where he developed high energy density materials for use as propellants and chemical laser fuels. From there he transferred to Rockwell Collins to lead organizations in the development ofavionics HMI and display technologies. There, he ascended to the position of Air Transport Director ofTechnology and Product Planning. Tom then joined Guardian Industries Science Center as the Director of Sputtered Films Technology, leading an organization charged with developing thin film optics technologies and products. Finally, he was the Director ofAdvanced Technology at Guardian prior to joining GM in 2006.