UX & Infotainment

The mega trend in infotainment is “always on“: basic functions such as radio reception are handled on a permanent or situational basis via the mobile internet or standards such as DAB, depending on the reception situation. Automated driving is also bringing about fundamental changes. While in the past the infotainment system was aimed at the driver, also in terms of how and where it was positioned in the vehicle, in future it has to serve all passengers in the same way. Navigation systems also depend increasingly on being constantly connected because the new driving functions work on the basis of high-precision maps that have to be downloaded from exterior sources. Future infotainment systems will be self-learning, with artificial intelligence playing an important role. And finally, user interfaces (HMI) are changing as well: multimodal input options in the form of touch screens, gesture and voice control as well as augmenting information (head-up displays, LED light strips, acoustics) have now become standard. Customers will soon be expecting automatically personalized settings and an HMI adapted to both user profiles and situational factors (such as passenger sensors that detect when the driver is distracted, emotion recognition or vital parameters).

IAV is developing new infotainment solutions and user interfaces for the vehicles of tomorrow. As an established partner for OEMs and component suppliers, we have high aspirations: we want to implement concepts that are functional, intuitive to use and attractive and which inspire the users. In doing so, we can rely on our wealth of skills in HMI conceptualization and specification, software development and our expertise for the entire vehicle. When we integrate new solutions in vehicles, we always also ensure compliance and legal conformity, without ever neglecting the user experience.

We have lived up to this high aspiration time and again, for example with proprietary model updates for infotainment systems, as well as integrating mobile online services in volume-produced vehicles. Our proprietary development “Side Window Entertainment” demonstrates how augmented reality can be used to integrate the side windows in future entertainment systems.

We champion agile, hybrid, conventional and lean engineering methods in our projects. We use virtual validation methods and state-of-the-art test facilities such as the “Remote Infotainment Lab” for remote tests performed from the desk directly in the target markets. Our audio lab adjusts infotainment systems to the acoustics in the vehicle and is also used for eCall precertification. We have developed the “ObjectivO” HIM evaluation method for testing guideline conformity of HMIs as well as deriving design recommendations. Of course, we also want to know how potential users react to our work. To this end we conduct user studies in the field, in the UX lab or in the IAV driving simulator, whereby the IAV pool of test persons provides us with random samples of the specific target group. Our cooperation with universities and schools of engineering always keeps us at the cutting edge of technical developments.

Our customers can expect first-class results at all times in algorithm and software development, system integration including testing, app development, benchmarking (for example assessing systems from the HMI point of view) and when it comes to release recommendations.