Ryan Powell is head of UX research and design at Waymo, and has played a key role in the development of the ride-hailing app and the interface features of Waymo One’s two cars: the Chrysler Pacifica and Jaguar I-PACE.
Earning trust in self-driving cars among riders — not just joyriders and journalists out for a test drive, but workers commuting to jobs, parents dropping off children at school or daycare, retired couples visiting relatives, those with limited mobility access — remains one of the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption.
“We’re trying to bring to market something that is a much safer option for getting from point A to point B, and that’s accessible to a wide, diverse set of folks,” Powell said. “It’s kind of the ultimate sign of trust: When parents are bringing their young kids with us in the car.”
Read the article at Built In.