萨尔萨舞；萨尔萨舞曲；萨尔萨辣酱丨studiokurbos

HOW CAN A CAR COMMUNICATE – WITHOUT WORDS, BUT STILL BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD?

In the SALSA research project, studiokurbos works together with renowned partners such as Audi, the University of Stuttgart, and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to explore how autonomous vehicles can communicate their behavior on the road. Clear, direct, and without words. The goal is to combine vehicle design, functionality, and communication so that autonomous mobility feels natural and the car’s signals are intuitively understood.

THE THREE PERSPECTIVES: COMMUNICATION, CONTROL, ORIENTATION

studiokurbos’ work in SALSA focuses on three core areas: eHMI, driver state, and knowledge transfer. Each area is treated independently, with its own goals, and consistently applies user-centered design. Collaboration with partners is coordinated, transparent, and equal. Analysis, concept development, and prototyping follow the highest quality standards and are guided entirely by user needs.

COMBINING VEHICLE DESIGN, AESTHETICS, AND FUNCTION

studiokurbos embraces minimalism: reduced surfaces, clear structures, and smooth transitions. The vehicle design combines aesthetics and functionality. On these surfaces, eHMI pixel areas come to life, supported by four LED strips for all-around communication. Every line, surface, and light signal is checked from all angles – for maximum readability without compromising the clarity of the design.

COLLABORATION AT ITS BEST

Together with Audi, the University of Stuttgart (IKTD), Hochschule der Medien (HdM), and BASt, studiokurbos develops messages that autonomous vehicles can communicate clearly – from “I see you” to “I am stopping.” Workflows and stimulus patterns are implemented in animations and applied to 3D models – from SUVs to autonomous taxis and delivery vehicles. Clear, precise, and effective.

With Fraunhofer IOSB, the team creates photorealistic training data to analyze drivers’ physical and mental behavior. Factors such as sleepiness, driving ability, and health are evaluated precisely. Based on this, an HMI was developed that detects the driver’s state and provides targeted, personalized information. The interface follows the SALSA design and is implemented as an HTML5 prototype for realistic interactions.

Another focus is knowledge transfer across driving stages – from manual driving to fully autonomous vehicles. studiokurbos works with WIVW to ensure that users always know which tasks they need to take on. Workshops, interface designs, and HTML5 prototypes translate these requirements into clear information, providing orientation, safety, and control.

FROM TEST TO PROTOTYPE – ITERATE, EXPERIENCE, OPTIMIZE

Missed the event but curious for more? Visit the official SALSA website: https://projekt-salsa.de/en/