Senior Capstone | greenBotz
Individual Senior Capstone Project
Timeline
Spring 2023 | 4 months
Role
Product, UX, and Service Design
Stakeholder
IxD Program
Inspiration
It was love at first site, a year ago in June. I was standing on my friend's balcony and the cutest little thing drove by.
What was that? Where is it going? What is it doing?I had to know more...
Problem
Delivery robots are available now for restaurants and businesses to deliver products to customers, but what about personal robots for consumers?
They may not be available now, but in the not-too-distant future, autonomous robots will be integrated into our everyday lives, as they will become more accessible.
Insight
Through primary research, observations, and interviews, I discovered that last mile delivery robots are still in the infant stage, used by restaurants and businesses, are costly and not for personal use. Electric robots also make a positive impact on our planet. They reduce the number of cars on the road - emissions going into the air, noise pollution in urban areas, and use less power than larger vehicles. I learned that half of our car trips are “less than three miles”.
Solution
My solution would be an autonomous and customizable Earth-loving personal robot that runs errands close to home, reducing the number of cars on the streets, while saving you time. From picking up your groceries, take-out, small products from retailers, books from the library, or even sending or picking up items from the people you know.
This is also a great companion for those who cannot leave their home due to an illness or a physical disability. I also wanted to build that emotional connection through personalization and interactions between humans and robots. By adding personality, this can break down barriers as robots can be seen as helpers, instead of being viewed as threats.
Experiment A
For my first experiment, I interviewed 3 people I knew, on the topic of delivery robots. I wanted to hear their thoughts. Have they have interacted with one before and what would they like to see in a delivery robot service?
Experiment A2
In an updated design of the local map, I added some of the delivery robots found in nearby neighborhoods.
Experiment A3
I then created this map and added colored dots to show some of the last mile delivery service robots that roam our planet that I had discovered during my research.
Experiment B
For my second experiment, I interviewed Alec S., who used to work at Postmates, as a City & Field Operations Manager. Learning from a courier service perspective and overall customer feedback, he advised that the robots "stay within a 5-10 minute radius" It's important to consider hot food traveling, a customer's wait time, and the battery power.
Experiment C
For the third experiment, I explored Uber courier service, to see their process and how that can be integrated into the service I was designing. Here are some of the categories of research I discovered.
Activities
Assessment
Artifacts
Roles
Shared Behaviors & Rituals
Language & Communication
Expert Interview
I also interviewed the VP, head of government relations at Coco Delivery, Carl H. He said that "50% of all car trips are less than 3 miles." This was helpful in acknowledging the opportunity where the gap is.
I also got a tour of their office. This is where I had a the chance to drive one around the courtyard.
Sustainability
Delivery robots are great for the planet! They can reduce traffic by taking more personal cars off the road. This also reduces the emissions going into the atmosphere. There would be less noise pollution in urban areas, and they use less power than cars and delivery trucks.
Research Synthesis
After all these insights, I wanted to know.. How can I provide access to personal robots that help the planet?
My suggestion would be greenBotz, running errands close to home, reducing the amount of cars on the streets, while saving you time. Think about when you order groceries, take-out, smaller products from retailers, books from the library, or even sending or picking up personal items from the people you know. This is also a great companion for those who cannot leave their home due to an illness or a disability.
First Concept
Second Concept
Final Proposal & Features
Customization
Blender 3D Model
Testing
In the future, I would like to add interactive components to the 3D model built in Blender, to conduct testing, where individuals can customize your own bot. I would like to see how categories and features are chosen, and possibly see how the ordering process would look like, for your own custom greenBotz.
Next Steps
After building an interactive 3D model that can be customized through usability testing, I would like to build a life size model prototype and further test that on public sidewalks. I also want to research sustainable materials, cost breakdown to build the robot, and what it would retail for. And I would like to design what the customer journey process would look like from ordering to use - understanding the journey between robot and pedestrians, while on route.
Reflection
This was a very fun project that I worked on as it gave me a chance to lead my own project as a product designer within a timeframe and juggling other classes, projects. I really enjoyed exploring robotics and last mile delivery services. And integrating this into a planet friendly robot vision.
However, I did not build a large physical prototype to drive around, as I switched gears to spend more time on the features and customization. This project still has more steps and I would like to continue where I left off, and build the rest of this process out on my own.