Making Moving Easier

Leveraging technology to improve the hitched trailer

ROLE

Researcher, UX designer, product designer

SITUATION

Autonomous vehicles are quickly on the rise. The development of autonomous vehicles (AV) is critical to improving the process of moving and can be used to increase accessibility and ease. With hitched trailers being commonly used for moving items, AV technology can be applied to making the hitched trailer process faster and more enjoyable.

TASK

Imagine plausible futures
Research trailer hauling and renting
Research AV technology
Understand the pains of moving
Understand potential target demographics
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data

ACTION

Reverse user assumptions
Explore scenarios of usage
Create a map of AV sensors
Prototype FriendAV Trailer
Design and prototype a high-fidelity application for the trailer connection and renting service

RESULT

I rethought the process of moving by incorporating next gen AV technologies into hitched trailers. By creating FriendAV trailer and renting service, users are able to complete their moving journey faster while accommodating for mobility and an enjoyable experience.

DEFINE PHASE

Painpoint:
Moving Sucks.

Gathering everything you own into heavy boxes you can barely lift and determining how you are going to fit your whole house in your car is a nightmare coming to life. Most of the time, your whole house will not fit in your Honda sedan without hauling a trailer. You decide to navigate U-Haul with no knowledge of what trailer is compatible with your car or even how to hitch it.

In the future,
your trailer will follow you.

Hitching a trailer is a task from the past, allowing you to skip messing with U-Haul on your moving to-do list. With the power of AV technologies, FriendAV Trailer will assist you on your moving journey with a non-physical connection to your vehicle, ease of moving your goods in and out the trailer, and safety guaranteed with 360° senors.

RESEARCH TAKEAWAYS

In order to make a self-driving trailer come to life, we conducted qualitative and quantitative research on the trailer renting experience and current AV technology.

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Trailer Transportation

I found out how trailers work and how they are hitched.

Renting a trailer is not intuitive
Hitching a trailer is physically demanding
Weather impacts the journey
Hitching is dangerous if done incorrectly

AV Technology

There is a public distrust towards AV technology
Technology is flexible and forward compatible
The trailer is not limited to its existing design

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I tested AV technologies and self-driving capabilities at Tesla.

Understanding an autonomous vehicle...

I researched AV technology, its capabilities, challenges and benefits, and existing AV companies to understand how self-driving cars work.

View my scan hit

THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND FRIEND-AV

Using autonomous technology: cameras, lidar, and radar, I mapped out the connection of its functions through sensor fusion to a main central computer using a 5g network. These technologies combined can create a

robust user-experience.

The Placement

Side View

Top View

Rear View

Placement

Sensor Coverage

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Key

The sensor map displays the placement of the sensors that allows Friend AV trailer to be functionally hitchless and autonomous.

Trailer Design

With inspiration from Airstream, we created a trailer with a design that is familiar to users.

Through aerial view, the trailer can be seen following the user's vehicle without a physical connection.

THE JOURNEY

Physically demanding
A lot of work for the user/wastes time
User feels uncertain at many points

Current Trailer Failures

WITH FRIEND-AV

Saves time via drop off with Friend AV
Does not have to physically hitch the AV trailer
User feels ensured and at ease

Future State Improvements

FRIEND-AV FUNCTIONS

I brainstormed 40 possible scenarios based on handling its convenience features, its rental process, and return process.

Scenario 35: Smart Sensors

As Riley frequently gets in to car accidents, her insurance is too high and cannot afford to get into any more. With Friend AV, that is equipped with smart sensors, she can finally trust moving alone without hitting

other vehicles.

Riley connects the trailer to her car in the app.

Trailer status and camera view can be seen on the car's display.

Riley uses the back up camera and sensors to pull out of her parking space.

Enabling Tech

360 degree object detection
Cameras installed on all sides
Wireless cross-vehicle communication

Friendly

Minimizes blind spots
Uses existing technology
Replaces the camera that the trailer blocks

Considerations

Must confirm license plate to connect
Relies on 5g network

Scenario 21: Rent with Ease

A big part of moving is navigating through rentals and scheduled drop off times. Caroline is stressed meeting the drop off time for her dog and mandatory covid testing. With Friend AV, Caroline is able to schedule a drop off and pick up time for her rented trailer.

Caroline selects FriendAV to be dropped off at her house.

She selects her preferred drop off and pick up date and times.

She views her confirmation and carries on with her tasks.

Friend was easily dropped off and picked up by a Friend sale's associate.