Mobile Device Integration and Interaction in the Automotive Domain

People feel very comfortable when they interact with their mobile devices by using natural user interfaces (NUIs). However, when they enter a vehicle, this feeling degrades rapidly, since many in-vehicle infotainment systems (IVIs) still do not offer natural user interfaces and use different user interface interaction paradigms. For this reason, we show how mobile devices can be integrated and used in the automotive domain. We first elaborate on architectural concerns and then summarize possible benefits of a mobile device integration. A basic set of interaction scenarios is presented in order to show how integrated mobile devices can contribute to NUI experience in vehicles. Finally, two available approaches are introduced and their potential for NUI integration is initially evaluated.