It is quite interesting to think of how technology has progressed through the years. The things technology can do for the world ranges from the convenient, useful, and more importantly, to the life-saving. Companies the world over have made use of various gadgets, apps, or programs to either introduce new products and services, or improve on their current offers.
As Shell has always been a pioneer in next generation technology producing smarter products, as well as promoting smarter use, the company is always on the lookout for ways to take their innovations a step further. To understand the journey of drivers around the world better, Shell developed the Shell Driving Experiment, a groundbreaking worldwide study that uses cutting-edge emotional intelligence technology, ChatBots, mobile apps, and online weather and traffic data sources to uncover how the emotions of drivers affect their driving performance.
A synergy between hardware, software, and human interaction
Prior to the start of the experiment, participants were profiled to understand the different aspects of their personalities, such as sensitivity, ambition, and cautiousness. Participants then wore a 37 Degree wearable fitness tracker, which was used throughout the study in tandem with three different apps: the Shell App, the 37 Degree fitness tracker companion app, and the Facebook Messenger app.
The driving performance score of the participants were measured through the Shell App. Three factors determine driver performance scores: speed, acceleration, and braking. Instances of overspeeding, harsh acceleration, and harsh braking lower the performance scores of the participants, meaning the smoother their drive is, the higher their performance score will be. The participants simply had to log the start and end of their journeys on the Shell App for their data to be recorded.
The 37 Degree fitness band was worn by participants to record their biometrics, as well as their mood and fatigue levels. The band took automatic readings throughout the day and logged in the details on a specially-coded version of the 37 Degree companion app, which was exclusively used for the study. The special version of the app also provided a way for the participants to log the start and end of their drives in order to monitor their biometrics when on the road.
The final app utilized by the Shell Driving Experiment was the Facebook Messenger app, wherein participants had to interact with a special ChatBot that gave them a series of questions to answer before and after their drive.
The information monitored by the 37 Degree band and the three apps were all brought together and analyzed by experts at Goldsmiths, University of London and giving an interesting look at the unique personalities of Filipino drivers and the realities of driving in the Philippines.
The results of the study were revealed during the ‘What Drives You’ launch event on February 27, which featured interactive installations and a panel of specialists discussing the research findings. The panelists included Cleary Ahern, a Doctoral Researcher from Goldsmiths, University of London. Ahern was then joined by other panelists composed of subject matter experts including motoring enthusiast and actor Jericho Rosales, champion racer Michele Bumagarner, and health and diet guru Nadine Tengco.