Virtual Reality Meets Driver’s Education

VR Motion, a virtual reality experience company, partnered with a global tech company to explore a new opportunity to use virtual reality for education with a particular user group: teen drivers. As new drivers on the road, teen drivers have a lack of experience that creates anxiety both for the driver themselves, and their parents. VR Motion and the global technology company came to Particle with the goal of exploring the concept of VR integration into driver’s education with both teen drivers and their parents.

Our role

  • UX Research
  • UX Strategy
  • User Interviews

Originally, I wanted someone else to teach my son. I knew I would get stressed out, and I did, which made learning very difficult for him.

Parent
Research Participant

Designing virtual reality that builds trust.

VR Motion and the global technology company had built a VR simulator that allowed the user to immerse themselves in the experience of driving. Using headsets, custom software solutions, and a simulator seat fit with brakes, a handle, and all the necessities of a car, VR motion had a fully built custom driving simulator to immerse users in the experience of driving. But they needed to understand if it would be of use to young drivers, and what they would need to change in the simulator to offer a meaningful experience. Our UX team designed a research study that would both explore teens and parents’ experiences in the driver training process, as well as to better understand which scenarios users felt would be best suited for the VR simulator.

Understanding where virtual reality can offer a unique value.

Today, Virtual Reality offers the opportunity to explore new environments without the possibility of harming the user, or others. We’ve seen Virtual Reality offer education in spaces from medical training, to disaster relief. VR Motions’ virtual driving simulator offered the opportunity for young drivers to practice their driving without the fear of harming themselves or others. To understand if this would be of value, we led roundtable discussions with teens who were currently learning to drive, and their parents. We then had both teens and parents experience the VR simulator. We then discussed with users their impressions of the VR driving simulator, and explored their ideas of most effective ways for VR to support and reinforce key aspects of the larger driver’s training curriculum.

Creating a meaningful Virtual Reality experience for both teens and parents.

Talking to both teens and parents, we found similarities as well as divergences in their expectations and perceived value of the VR simulator. Teens needed help with understanding the basics of driving. As new learners, they had trouble even conceiving skills beyond the basic mastery of the car and the rules of the road. They saw the virtual reality simulator as a way to master the basics with more confidence and more safety than on the road.

In comparison to teens, parents described the difficulty in teaching their young drivers more advanced driving scenarios, such as merging onto a busy highway or parallel parking. These advanced driving scenarios were key to their young drivers learning to drive, but they posed greater danger to both themselves and their kids. They saw value in the possibility of the VR simulator to teach beyond the basics. Road Awareness - the type of knowledge that today comes from years of driving - is what they wanted help in teaching their kids. Not just what you do when your in a dangerous situation, but how do you avoid it in the first place.

Helping VR Motion transform the Driver’s Ed experience.

More than merely a gaming experience, virtual reality offers tremendous possibilities in exploring new modes of education and learning. From our user research, we gave VR Motion, partnered with the global technology company, clear design recommendations to better connect their VR driving simulator to its users. VR Motions’ driving simulator has been incorporated into a number of driver and operator training systems for applications including commercial truck and equipment operators, law enforcement, military and teen drivers alike.

I think VR Motion built an experience that is super helpful for students who have not driven a car yet. I am excited for future versions.

Parent
Research Participant

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