CAR as MUSEUM
What would it feel like if autonomous vehicle passengers were able to ride in the world of their favorite artists?
Inspiration: Vincent Van Gogh show at L'Atelier des Lumieres, Paris' first digital art museum
The most compelling point of this project is to connect art and advanced technologies such as autonomous vehicles and agentive artificial intelligence to impact user emotions.
Reference: Mercedes Benz F 015 Interior Image
Project Description
Inspiration: Artwork by Remington Robinson, USA
The window was the original form of entertainment on a long train, plane, and car rides. Car as Museum (CAM) is a vehicle smart window that uses DeepDream to augment the riders surrounding landscape. DeepDream is a computer vision program created by Google that uses a convolutional neural network to find and enhance patterns in images on the smart windows of autonomous vehicles of the future. The window acts as the museum curator, auto-suggesting particular artists' styles for the rider. The project connects art and agentive technologies such as autonomous vehicles and pattern recognition to impact a user’s transportation experience.
DeepDream
A computer vision program created by Google which uses a convolutional neural network to find and enhance patterns in images via algorithmic pareidolia, thus creating a dream-like hallucinogenic appearance in the deliberately over-processed images.
Runway ML
A machine learning software is able to combine the scenes of the real world as input with the DeepDream algorithm to find patterns and enhance scenes in real-time. The resulting outputs are synthesized scenes on the smart window.
Unity + Vuforia = Initial Approach
The first prototype was shown in a virtual environment by Vuforia of the Unity and DeepDream generator to demonstrate the overall atmosphere of the concept.
What I learned
It would be ideal if the user is able to select the target object and apply the theme to it.
Testing & Prototyping
Tested out the style transfer on every available window of the vehicle and received feedback from participants based on the video prototypes.
What I learned
Applying the theme to the side windows gives more psychological comfort to the participants than when this function was applied to the windshield.
Runway ML is a style transfer program that requires an Internet connection to generate the scene, making outputs to a large screen ratio slow and delayed.
Style transferring in real-time by using a laptop screen instead of the smart window while the vehicle is in motion.
What I learned
It is more suitable for appreciating the atmosphere of an artist’s style instead of their technique.
It gives different impressions and feelings than when viewing the artworks in a museum due to the vehicle’s motion.
Posture Study
What I learned
Different seating positions effects on watching the scene due to the angle of vision.
System Diagram
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A visitor (Rider) is able to start CAM with mobile devices or voice commands through a curator, embedded in the smart window, and managed by agentive A.I.
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The visitor is able to see the style transferring on the window of the vehicle.
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Visitors are able to be recommended or select an artist from the curator.
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Curator receives and executes a request from the visitor on the window.
Technology Research
Data transmission (5G) is getting faster, and allows users to have new dynamic experiences regarding advanced technologies and new features in the vehicle.
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Perception
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Path planning
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Real-time local updates
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Coordinated driving
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3D HD map
Reference: Audi e-tron
Reference: Ubisoft and Renault's VR
According to the majority of concepts and solutions for futuristic vehicles, drivers in the car will see the outside world through AR or VR on the windshields made possible with the use of an outside camera.
Reference: Volvo 360c Autonomous Concept
Car companies are developing concepts for smart windshields that provide passengers a wider range of digital entertainment and activities in the autonomous vehicle of the future.
Reference: Tesla Arcade
Consumers want to know what the autonomous vehicle does and how it provides them a new experience of travel. For example, Tesla has already started to develop a new entertainment system to provide another level of user experience in the autonomous vehicle.
Storyboard
Susan gets in the C.A.M.
She gets really tired of the scene of the busy outside world and wants to switch away from the scene that she sees constantly.
Susan tells a curator to start the C.A.M. app.
She browses the artists and selects the style of Van Gogh through her smartphone.
Suddenly, the landscape of the outside world is painted in Van Gogh's style and Susan falls into deep appreciation for what she is now seeing instead of the previous traffic jam.
Wireframe
Why an app?
Two of the participants were not familiar with the artists, so they were wondering about the theme and its information that is used in style transfer.
One participant was unfamiliar with the voice command and agentive A.I. feature in the vehicle of the future. The participant needed a kind of visual communication device or tool (UI) to enable a smooth transition to go through tasks.