Tim Smith - Humanizing Autonomous Mobility

Future of Living

Tim Smith (@timsmith, IG) refers to himself as a "human-to-whatever" designer. It’s a description stems from his belief that human-centered design principles can be applied to every situation. He even once designed a machine for more efficiently milking cows. In his current role as Global Auto & Mobility Director at ustwo, he is focused on the in-car autonomous car experience.

Specifically, Smith and his colleagues are researching how to make autonomous travel accessible for both able and disabled passengers. He co-authored Humanising Autonomy: Where are we going?, in which he argues the auto industry's approach to autonomy is imbalanced. In addition to focusing on the technical challenges, he and his co-authors argue the human-factors involved in autonomy must be considered.

In this conversation, Blake and Tim discuss:

• The challenges facing the auto industry when designing for accessibility.
• The unintended consequences to retrofitting properties for accessibility.
• The importance of voice centered human experiences both in and out of the car.

Find Tim on Twitter, @mypoorbrain, on Instagram, @timsmith, and on LinkedIn.

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