Anthropomorphic AI Agent Mediated Multimodal Interactions in Vehicles

This paper introduces a user experience design project that aspires to redefine the relationship between humans and vehicles. The authors have designed the visual representation of an artificial intelligence (AI) agent, Yui. The agent is intended to elicit a sense of collaboration with the vehicle, and enable to build rapport between driver and vehicle. In the age of automated vehicles (AVs) it is critical to develop such a cooperative relationship between humans and vehicles in order for the people to more readily adopt AVs. Autonomous capability is expected to roll out in progressive phases. In the phases of partially or conditional AVs, drivers need to be engaged and alert at all time so they can quickly take back control of the vehicle. This project attempts to utilize speculative prototypes of an anthropomorphic AI agent to explore the factors necessary to engage drivers in safe collaboration with AVs.