Yuma MBMS

Where to design? Why to design?

As a group, we wanted to work create a mobility solution. We explored topics like Ridesharing, Last mile commute and Drone technology. We found micromobility to be the most impactful and feasible area to work on.

What is Micromobility?

Micromobility is a type of transportation that uses lightweight vehicles to travel short distances. Micromobility vehicles include bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and other vehicles that typically travel under 15 miles per hour.

Big Interest in micromobility solutions.

E-Micromobility solution companies have seen a lot of investor interest in recent times with many new playeres entering the field. However, many companies fail due to difficulties in building the right infrastructure and integrating their system into urban environments.

Exploring various micromobility solutions.

To practically understand the scenario on roads, we first visited the IIT Bombay campus and studied the various mobility solutions there as well as the experiece of students who need to get around the campus. We found the Electric Buggies to be an innovative mode that stood out but we knew we had to dig deeper.

The team sets out to the roads to conduct research.

To understand everyday office commuters, the team head out to BKC, one of the busiest location in Mumbai for commuters to try and understand the problems people face while commuting to work.

Yulu: The mobility landscape of the future or just a fad?

From the various options we explored, Yulu stood out as an idea that had the potential to solve major problems. This was something that we knew we had to explore deeper.

A deeper dive into the Yulu commute.

Our first contextual inquiry was aimed to help us understand the service in action. This inquiry was conducted at a Yulu station equipped with both charging and bike collection facilities. We interviewed the maintenance crew and commuters.

Let's commute with the users.

We decided to shadow a commuter as they went to work to understand their experience with the service.

Yulu faces some obvious infrastructure challenges in India.

The service could be considered well ahead of its time, with the Indian infrastructure having a lot of catching up to do to be compatible.

• Accessibility and Availability: Yulu bikes were not always readily available near the station, leading to delays for commuters. Some locations were overcrowded while others were underserved.

• Infrastructure: The infrastructure around BKC was not always conducive to micromobility. Narrow sidewalks, lack of dedicated bike lanes, and heavy traffic made it challenging and unsafe for users to navigate, particularly during peak hours.

Guided by our observations, we built task flows and different contextual models for the entire system.

The models indicated that there was a need for the micromobility services, however the surrounding infrastructure was not conducive to it.

Should we design a better solution or make the solution better?

As we analyzed our findings, we were faced with a pivotal decision: should we design an entirely new micromobility solution or address the issues within the existing Yulu system?

While Yulu faces several challenges, it remains an innovative and forward-thinking service. Helping it become more feasable and efficient would be a better utilization of our resources and time.

Therefore, we decided to concentrate our efforts on refining and optimizing the existing service.

Deep into the operations of Yulu

Our second contextual inquiry aimed to delve deeper into the operational aspects of the service by specifically studying Yuma, a sister company that focuses on battery swapping.

Studying maintainence processes

We interviewed the maintenance crew and shadowed him as he performed various tasks such as battery swapping, battery maintenance, charging, and overseeing station operations.

Stickers do not communicate the individual faults in the batteries

We can observe that most of the batteries at the station were marked with stickers, indicating that they had been through the maintainence wareehouse at some point, either for charge or some fault. The system however does not give any more information to the crew.

After thorough research on site, we were able to understand the entire system at work and were able to construct models that map the system and help discover points of intervention.

Yulu is a system of automations being run by small maintainence teams.

Our key takeaways from the research were:

• Digitally monitored workflows: All tasks at the station were managed through a mobile app, which was part of an integrated IoT system designed to automate the process with minimal human intervention.

• Battery Management: The battery swapping stations were central to our findings, with piles of batteries waiting to be charged, swapped, or maintained. The system’s effectiveness relied heavily on how these batteries were managed, monitored, and maintained.

• Touchpoints: The entire system had various touchpoints working together like the bikes, mobile applications and charging docks. The touchpoints interacted through different methods:

  • Vodafone's IoT SIM Connection: This technology connects the bikes to the servers, enabling tracking, ride management, and preventive measures.

  • Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth technology is used throughout the system for locking and unlocking bikes, charging batteries and connecting to the charging dock. Essentially when more immediate actions are needed.

  • Human Intervention: A maintenance crew, guided by the automated system, ensures the smooth operation of the network. Their tasks include checking and maintaining batteries, retrieving stranded bikes, and managing charging stations.

The batteries are at the core of the service but they can be managed better.

Our research highlights the importance of efficient battery management in Yulu's operations. The blend of digital automation and human intervention forms the backbone of the system, but our study suggests opportunities for optimizing the swapping process to further streamline operations.

Creating an intervention to help maintainance teams better manage bikes and batteries.

The following areas of intervention were discovered from our research on ground:

Form Ideation

We explored various forms through sketches and mock-ups with a focus on ergonomics and usability.

3D Visualization

The final design direction that was settled on allowed for more versatile usage.

Materials

Body: High Impact ABS plastic for high durability. Enhanced impact resistance compared to general purpose ABS. Ideal for products that require extra durability and toughness. Matte spray finish with UV coating for protection against the elements.

Grip: Solid ABS body with TPU over-moulding for easy holding and durability in the part.

We designed the proof of concept by following standard DFM practices to ensure our product was sturdy and durable.

UI/UX Design

We developed a user-friendly interface with the following features:

1. Profiles:

   • View current connectivity status

   • User information display (Name, DOB, Age, Joining Date, ID number, Posting)

   • Profile change option

2. Battery Management:

   • Check battery function

   • Monitor battery status and health

3. History:

   • Track past interactions and activities

4. Settings:

   • Adjust device configurations

5. QR Scan Functionality:

   • Easy battery identification and data retrieval

Task Flow