Designing an interactive handlebar infotainment system for light vehicles

Abstract: This thesis studies what the crucial aspects are when designing and developing an in-vehicle infotainment system for light vehicles that should both extend functionality and improve safety. In order to ground the research, innovations made in automotive infotainment systems are examined and a design for a light vehicle infotainment system that utilizes optical gesture based touch interaction is proposed. This is done with the goal to provide drivers of light vehicles with the same safety and usability improvements that drivers of cars can enjoy. A research through design approach together with heuristics and cognitive walkthrough enabled rapid design iterations to be made in order to produce a prototype to be tested. In the end, a design proposal was presented which showed that there are several similar ways of thinking that can be applied to light vehicle infotainment designs compared to its automotive counterparts. During the design process, the importance of a simple menu; animations to convey spatial connections; and notifications to lower the overall visual clutter were identified as key aspects of a safe and usable infotainment system.