The New BMW Idrive – Applied Processes and Methods to Assure High Usability

The New BMW iDrive – Applied Processes and Methods to Assure High Usability Bernhard Niedermaier, Stephan Durach, Lutz Eckstein, and Andreas Keinath BMW Group, Germany {Bernhard.Niedermaier,Stephan.Durach,Lutz.Eckstein, Andreas.Keinath}@bmw.de Abstract. With iDrive the BMW Group introduced in 2001 a revolutionary HMI concept, which was firstly able to cope with the constantly increasing number of functions in the automobile. It was designed to optimally support drivers in their various tasks while driving. The basic iDrive concept can be de- scribed as separating driving functions from comfort functions as well as separating displays from controls. This basic concept together with a highly mounted display ensures that controls can be reached with no need looking at them and that the central display is easy and quick to access. The trendsetting iDrive idea has been widely adopted in the automotive industry. The following article outlines the iterative design and evaluation process that led to the new generation iDrive introduced in 2008 with the new BMW 7 Series. The basic challenge was to come up with an evolution of the iDrive concept by improving it without loosing the revolutionary approach to automotive HMI design. Keywords: BMW, iDrive, HMI, automotive, usability. 1 Driver Orientation One precondition for the design of such a new HMI is to know customer needs worldwide. This is especially true if the HMI is designed to incorporate the latest and upcoming technology without being technology driven. Hence, before starting the actual design process customer requirement clinics in the core markets have been set up and public available reports from numerous sources have been reviewed to understand current user needs and to extrapolate future trends. In cooperation with different universities a number of projects were started with a broad scope for defining new methods for evaluation and conceptual work. As a result of this research it was found that most HMI innovations are coming from consumer electronics industry, however, application to the automotive sector can not be done one to one. Designing a HMI for use while driving has to pay much more attention on installation, information presentation, interaction logic and system behaviour in order to ensure compatibility to the driving task, usability and attractiveness. Therefore, the main focus has to be on designing a driver orientated HMI that is the synapse between driver and vehicle: Driver Orientation means an intuitively understandable HMI, which is efficient in usage and widely accepted. It enables the driver to drive safely while using the vehicles functionality. V.G. Duffy (Ed.): Digital Human Modeling, HCII 2009, LNCS 5620, pp. 443–452, 2009. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009 444 B. Niedermaier et al. 1.1 Competent Interaction through Perfect Ergonomics An important prerequisite of a driver oriented HMI is an ergonomically perfect layout of the geometry of the driver's working place: 1.2 Optimal Reachability of Controls All controls are positioned in a way that they can be reached from a comfortable seat- ing position. Therefore the CAD-based man-model RAMSIS has been used to define suitable locations. Fig. 1 shows the area the driver can reach without detaching the right shoulder from the seat. It is obvious that the driver orientated centre stack sig- nificantly improves the reachability of the outer controls for the driver. Fig. 1. Driver orientation through optimal positioning of controls 1.3 Information Presentation While controls are positioned primarily in the lower part of the dashboard displays are located basically in the upper part of the dashboard in an accommodation friendly distance relative to the eyes of the driver. Thus displays are very close to the driving- scene and the driver can pick up relevant information with very short glances (Fig. 2). The optional head-up display (HUD) ultimately presents all urgent and driving relevant information in the driver’s primary field of view with no need of refocusing the eyes. In addition to ergonomic installation and well structured information presentation the design of the interaction itself plays a decisive role in enabling the driver to com- petently and confidently interact with the vehicle’s functionality. 1.4 Intuitive and Efficient Interaction All functions which can be operated need to be prioritized on the basis of typical uses- cases according to their relevance while driving. Important criteria are the frequency The New BMW iDrive – Applied Processes and Methods to Assure High Usability 445 of use and the relevance for driving and comfort. Functions with a high priority can be directly accessed by a hardkey. Medium or low priority functions can be operated menu-driven within the central information display. Controls and displays for high priority functions in the driving area are directly assigned to the driver. Comfort fea- tures are positioned in the middle of the vehicle and can be operated by driver and passenger (Fig. 2). The HMI concept should provide an intuitive and easy to learn operation for the driver at first contact. Therefore it is essential to minimize the number of interaction paradigms which the driver needs to understand across all vehicle functions. Regard- ing long-term use the interaction should be efficient and easy to memorize. Since the HMI concept is designed for a safe operation while driving secondary task interaction must be interruptible at anytime with no negative consequences for the driver. This criterion and other important criteria which were applied during the design of interaction can be found in the European Statement of Principles (ESoP) on HMI [1]. Fig. 2. Driver oriented positioning of display and controls 1.5 System Behaviour In order to achieve high acceptance of the HMI concept, the driver needs to be given an immediate feedback on every control input. Functionality which may attract the driver’s attention like TV, DVD or games should be automatically disabled as soon as the vehicle starts to move. Again a description of the most important design principles is given in the ESoP [1]. 1.6 Joy of Use Beside these scientifically based criteria the interaction concept needs to be attractive. Joy of use is a necessary prerequisite for sheer driving pleasure. Therefore an appeal- ing graphical design as well as high-value and precise controls are indispensable. 446 B. Niedermaier et al. 2 The HMI Concept 2.1 Driving Area Pressing the start/stop button is all that is required to start the vehicle. The key insert is omitted thanks to the convenience starting function. The instrument cluster is designed using black panel technology, and therefore reveals only the four round in- struments. The cruise control system is controlled on the left-hand side of the multifunctional steering wheel (Fig. 3). The visibility of the controls in combination with their clear labeling enables intuitive operation. In-line with operation, the correspond- ing feedback and displays are shown in the left half of the instrument cluster. The set speed is displayed along the speedometer scale with direct reference to the vehicle‘s current speed. The status displays for the Active Cruise Control system with stop & go function and the lane departure warning system are combined to form an easily understandable schematic portrayal of the current traffic situation. Via the controls on the right-hand steering wheel spoke, the driver can access basic entertainment and telephone functions. To achieve this, a list-based view of the current audio source or the redial list appears in the right area of the instrument cluster. The control for oper- ating the lists is a rotary pushbutton thumbwheel on the right-hand steering wheel spoke. The customer can additionally choose from a range of state-of-the-art driver assistance systems. According to their effect, the systems have been arranged in four groups in the cockpit. The controls for those driver assistance systems which support the driver in perceiving and interpreting the traffic situation are located beneath the central light switch: e.g. the lane change warning system, lane departure warning system, collision warning system, Night Vision with person recognition and the Head- Up Display. Functions which support the driver during parking and maneuvring can be activated in the immediate vicinity of the gear selector lever and the parking brake. The navigation system additionally provides the driver with innovative functions which inform him on the traffic situation ahead of the vehicle. The speed limit display shows the currently applicable speed limit. The Dynamic Drive Control system enables the vehicle‘s handling characteristics to be adjusted. Fig. 3. Simple access to all information relevant to driving via the multifunctional steering wheel, the instrument cluster and the Head-Up Display The New BMW iDrive – Applied Processes and Methods to Assure High Usability 447 2.2 Comfort Area The functions in the comfort area are characterized by the fact that they facilitate direct operation – without any direct reference to the driving task. The controls are positioned in such a way that they make clear, spatial reference to the function and can be comfortably reached from the driving position. Examples of these include the seat adjustment facility on the seat, the window lifter actuators in the door or the slid- ing/tilting sunroof actuator in the roof lining. Further comfort functions such as the audio and air conditioning systems, central information display operation or the USB connection for MP3 players can be comfortably operated by both the driver and the front passenger (Fig. 4). They are therefore located in the center stack or in the area of the center console. Fig. 4. Audio and air conditioning system controls with direct access 2.3 Screen Operation Screen operation is also of central importance for the comfort area.

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