Interior Design of Autonomous Cars
The interior design of a car has been consistent for quite some time now. As we usually differentiate cars by their exterior (sports cars, family cars, buses, camper vans), we do not have big differences in regard to the interior. The only example that might be different here is a Limousine, which has a huge importance on the interior as well.
Often when a new technology arrives, it changes things. Autonomous technology might lead to such a change.
No need for steering
We have already seen car concepts with retractable steering wheels from Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and others.
But what else?
Once we pass the trust barrier, and we will have 100% trust in the car from a technical standpoint that it will get us safely to our destination, we will no longer have a need to look forward. We could make a complete redesign of the car’s interior.
Swiveling car seats
Some cars in the 60s offered rotating (swiveling) seats, in order to allow easy entering and exiting the car. But since the driver is no longer needed, would he be turning as well?
Car as a mobile meeting room
Business-level manufacturers (such as Audi, Rolce Royce, Mercedes, BMW) definitely glimpse towards the market offered by Limousines today. With no need for attention from the driver, the car is just a space that could be used as a meeting room. Augmenting the office space and offering the ability to work from the car, can be quite a time saver, and thus increase the quality of life, since people will count the work hours already from the commute to the office.
Car as a social space
For some cars are already a place to calm down. But when you don't need to concentrate, they could be really relaxing.
Ride-sharing and its issues
When cars would be completely autonomous, it would probably be cheaper to not own a car. Fleets of autonomous taxis would drive us anywhere we want with efficiency. Cars won’t need a parking spot since they will always be used.
This can also create the idea of ride-sharing of the same vehicle. But sharing a space with someone you don't know, is a big potential issue. Not only from personal safety and security, but also just from personal ride preferences. While some people like listening to music, others prefer to read, etc. Together with 2 colleagues at Intel, we wrote a patent trying to address this very issue already in 2015 (the patent was officially approved in 2018).
Whatever the solution would be for such a situation, it is clear that a taxi or a ride-sharing vehicle will be designed differently than a family car.
Car as a mobile hotel room
Already today, some people make night transport, in order to make efficient use of time. This is also cheaper since you are saving on hotel costs.
What if the future car would be an actual hotel room? Imagine renting a room for the night, but also asking it to bring you to a certain destination the following morning. As long as you get a shower somewhere, it's quite a nice deal.
An interesting research I read a few years ago said that actually, people might have much more sex in the car once it will become autonomous. So that's not really far from this either.
Direction of driving
But, whoever had the chance to sit against the direction of driving, knows why this design has a flaw. Yes, it looks more correct, for obvious social reasons. But most people get sick when driving “backward”.
Trains are designed in this way, since they drive in both directions and that would be the most efficient use of the space. Planes took a different approach, and although the crew might be seated facing backward, it is only for very short periods.
We probably should reconsider this point, and redesign the interior to better fit the driving direction.
