INDUSTRY:
AUTOMOTIVE
COMPANY:
LIGHTYEAR
YEAR:
2022
EXPERIENCE:
PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER
Interactive Hardware Integration
about.
Realizing physical and digital interaction across the entire production vehicle for the Lightyear 0 Solar EV
challenge.
The Lightyear 0 was a first-of-a-kind solar electric vehicle. I jumped onboard this project exactly when the first working prototype was finished, with the task of taking it into production.
The challenge was to bring this low volume product to market by working mostly with off-the-shelf interactive hardware and fitting them into an ergonomic and stylized package. The scope of the parts ranged from speakers, to buttons, cameras, microphones, antennas, sensors, and of course, the interactive displays in the car. We also developed an entire media system from scratch, which involved collaboration with a small group of engineers, and with other interfacing teams in the vehicle.
With tight-deadlines, and a complex, user-centered product, all the ingredients were there to make this an exciting project.
results.
In November of 2023 we delivered a regulatory compliant, working interaction system across media, driver controls, camera, security, lighting systems. The vehicle began its production in Finland that same year.
