DualMode User Interface

2018 - 2022

An on-truck user interface to facilitate vehicle operation for Crown automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

Project Overview

Crown AGVs require some degree of manual operation throughout the workflow. An on-truck interface is needed to facilitate user interactions such as setting up the AGV, programming its next order, and troubleshooting errors.

Role & Team

I worked as part of a 2 person design team in collaboration with the wider vehicle engineering teams, where I acted as the lead designer for the first 3/4 of the project.

The problem

Crown's line of 'DualMode' AGVs give user the flexibility of both manual and automated functionalities in a single vehicle. This means that some manual user involvement are necessary during certain parts of the operation, such as setting up the vehicle at the start of the day, programming its next order, and troubleshooting errors when they occur.

I was tasked with identifying the required on-truck interactions and experience, as well as designing a user interface to facilitate them.

The effort

I worked very closely with the vehicle teams (both mechanical and software) in developing the UI solution firstly as the sole designer in the project, and later joined another designer around 2.5 years into the project.

Development for certain aspects of the AGV base vehicle and software was underway when I started this effort, which resulted in a weird mix of hard constraints to work with but also the opportunity to influence certain product decisions in favour of the on-truck experience.

My contribution to this project includes:

  • Working with Engineering to define on-truck experience

  • Identifying use-cases & workflows for each AGV model

  • Identifying user types and their level of interaction

  • Cross-discipline negotiation & presentation

  • Creating wireframes & prototypes

  • User interface design & hand-off for production

Multiple displays on the AGV

The biggest limitation I had to work with was the inability to integrate additional user interface for auto-mode operation to a pre-existing display on the base vehicle model.

This meant that the AGV user interface has to be packaged into a separate display, which lives on the AGV dashboard along with the base vehicle display.

Designing for multiple AGV models..

One of the challenge in designing the user interface is the requirement to make them scalable across different across different AGV models (and rightfully so). These models designed to perform different material handling tasks, with different user interface needs.

'Order Picker' (base vehicle for DualMode L). Designed for pallet pick up, put down, and transport.

'Tow tractor' (base vehicle for DualMode T). No forks, designed to tow a set of trailers from point to point.

..and multiple workflows.

Another layer of challenge is the optional integration of Crown’s Automation Server into the AGV operation, which results in variations of on-truck user interaction even for a single AGV model around the start and end of an order. These are the workflows we need to facilitate through the UI.

DualMode T & L Workflow Comparison

Who are we designing for?

Prior research and experience with automation customers gave us a good understanding of users who would operate an AGV. The consensus is that customers prefer to upskill personnel on-site and add operating an AGV to their existing list of responsibilities instead of hiring a new personnel.

There are however different ‘tiers’ of responsibilities and therefore interactions between a user and the AGV as shown below:

Different Tiers of User Roles & Responsibilities

Expanding the Design System

We decided that it’s best to build on the ‘Colin’ Design System that is already used on Crown base vehicle user interface in order to maintain the same look and feel between the two AGV UIs.

The design system has a utilitarian yet humanized and friendly personality, which is ideal even for beginner AGV operators who may be intimidated by the technology in front of them.

The DualMode User Interface.

By the end of the effort we were able to come up with a final design for the DualMode user interface to facilitate all the identified interactions between a user and the AGV, while also taking into account all the considerations identified at the start of the project.

Relevant communication for users in the surrounding

The user interface combines with outward-facing lights & sound to ensure that the relevant message and communication is accessible for users in different positions relative to the AGV.

Messaging strategy by user proximity

Scalability across different AGV models

UI content is consistent across models to maintain familiarity for users in a mixed AGV operation, with artwork variations to communicate model-specific detail where necessary.

Harmony with built-in vehicle display

The user interface is designed with co-existence with the built-in vehicle display in mind. It directs user’s attention to the relevant display for their task and ensures that the two display do not contradict one another.

AGV conditions communicated loud & clear

Universally understood colors used throughout the UI set the tone for current AGV condition while bold and concise messaging clearly communicates what the vehicle is experiencing.

Guiding the user every step of the way

Presentation of error states and their relevant recovery action on the UI are carefully curated; just the right amount of information to not overwhelm the user, but enough to ensure that they are informed and in control when troubleshooting AGV issue.

Modularity to support different workflows

The screens and interactions between them are designed to be modular across different AGV models and presence of an Automation Server in the operation. Smaller screen flows within the UI can simply be added or removed to suit the customer’s on-site application.

Screens specific to the Automation Server are limited to the orange highlights on the screen flow below, while model-specific artworks are applied to screens highlighted in lime.

Orange highlights: Automation Server specific

Lime highlights: Screens with artwork variations per AGV model

To sum it up..

The DualMode AGV UI for the 'T' model is currently in field test at an internal manufacturing plant, while the 'L' model is still in development. There is continuous improvement work happening in the background but I have shifted to more of an advisory role in the project as of late 2022 in order to free up time for other efforts.

Coming from a physical product background, I find working on the DualMode AGV UI very refreshing as it has an equally strong emphasis on physical user interaction and experience with the product in addition to digital. This project gave me a better understanding of the inner workings of an automated guided vehicle, and a stronger appreciation to the legal standards and constraints of the automation industry.

Have a peek at my other work!

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