The vehicle as an immersive device to enhance the mental health to a peak state

Abstract: As a result of technological progress, environmental aspects and social change, the automotive industry is undergoing a radical transformation. The focus is no longer on the product "vehicle" but much more on the mobility service itself and the users individual experience and well-being during travel time. In that field of innovation, the study deals with a explorative investigation of using the travel time for a improvement of the mental health of the passenger. The vision is to integrate breathwork relaxation in combination with a human centric lighting scenario as an immersive service within luxury ride-hailing vehicles to enhance the mental health during automated rides and utilizing the time spent in cars for personal pleasure. To enable a user-centered and experimental approach, a test vehicle from the non-profit company bq.Labs was equipped with the bq breath work app and a spezialized LED-based lighting screen that was developed by Fraunhofer. The effects were tested on randomly selected and voluntary users in a guerrilla testing at three different locations in San Diego. The tests explored user acceptance of the innovative technologies by combining surveys, vital data collection, qualitative interviews and observations. Initial data analysis provides insights into the feasibility and potential effects on well-being and user perception. The study illustrates those innovations in the field of mobility, involve systemic dependencies and considerations beyond technology, encompassing social and psychological dimensions. It underscores that successful innovations require a holistic, user-centered approach that considers technological, social, and psychological dimensions. The findings lay the groundwork for future research and development of innovation strategies in the evolving field of mobility and personalized strength.

Keywords: Human Centric Lighting, Innovation Design, User Experience, Product Design, Mobility Innovation, Mental Health

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005260

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