Audi enosys

Today’s homes and cars are experiencing revolutionary technological changes. The home is becoming part of the internet, with connected security, automation and entertainment functions. Cars are increasingly sophisticated on the road, drawing live traffic and media while en route and allowing users to interact with their cars through mobile apps. At the same time, how a car fits into a person’s life is heavily changing: Individual car ownership is on the decline, other transportation methods are on the rise, and cars become pooled resources – part of a communal travel planning solution for everyone. In light of these trends, Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory has challenged designers from Stanford University in California and the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany to develop a device that brings the Audi experience into the home.

There is an ever-present need of working professionals and their families to arrive on time for work, school, and other routine and important events. Especially those who live with families have to make constant mental calculations in the morning as to when and how they need to leave which often demands more time from them. However, these calculations vary according to current traffic, weather, and public transit conditions, and even with the aid of smart phones to access this information, 1 in 5 Americans arrive late to work at least once a week. While technology has encompassed many aspects of our lives, sources of information remain disjointed. A device that aggregates all necessary information to smooth the transition from the home to the activities of the day on time would address this persistent problem.

Therefore, we present enosys, the transportation assistant for the smart home. enosys resides in the home to replace the ubiquitous kitchen clock and calendar with a shared travel planning and viewing appliance (cf. Figure 1.1). enosys keeps track of the errands and transportation requirements of each member of the family, providing timely alerts as pertinent departure times approach and allowing them to see what transportation options are available for each trip. Ambient LEDs in the back of the device give subtle reminders with increasing urgency as a user’s departure time approaches. The calendars of all family members are aligned in a time line that can be easily scrolled through to see what other family members have planned for their day and which mode of transportation they are going to take. Moreover, it allows users to check on their Audi car, see where it is parked or who is currently using it and what the current range is so users know whether they have to charge or gas up.

We envision Audi as a mobility provider, not necessarily directly selling cars to users, but rather connecting them to other transportation services through car share or autonomous vehicle lending. In this new paradigm, users will have to rely on more diverse and less consistent modes of transport, complicating the mental calculations required to leave on time. The value enosys provides increases over time as the nature of transportation continues to fundamentally evolve. Our solution developed focuses on the Audi-connected family of the future, with access to one or more (electric) vehicles as well as an array of transportation needs and resources.

By combining many different sources of transit information in a spot where it helps the most, enosys serves as the planning hub for the transportation world of tomorrow.