DUDE wins VW contest

A talking car-pal has taken out first place in Volkswagen's "App my Ride Contest". The competition asked budding application developers to use their imagination to produce in-car Adobe Flash or Flex based programs.

The contest aimed to explore future generation in-car experiences for drivers and passengers; as explained in the contest handbook: "In order to explore the potential of such apps for automobiles, we at Volkswagen are trying to generate a variety of interesting and creative examples of these apps. To this end, we have created the 'app development kit'"

Volkswagen provided basic guidelines for budding programmers, such as no needless distracting animations, and encouraging high contrast, large fonts and buttons and the ability for any application to not require constant fiddling.

Over 100 ideas where submitted to the judging panel, with the eventual winner being an application known as "DUDE" – described as; "an app that communicates with the driver playfully and supportively."

"He won't bombard you with menus or statistics and he won't distract you from driving. It's simply his look, his mood and the colour of the background that will give you all the information you need and it's all about the way you drive to keep him satisfied."

Consisting of only a few interface buttons, a playful cartoon icon and a GPS map, DUDE uses the car telemetry to help you on your journey.  As the Apps designer describes it: "The DUDE is an adorable, little helper that informs you about all the important information that you need to improve your driving-skills and to take care of you, your car and the environment."

Runner-up was the inventor of the "Re-Action" app. This reflex game makes longer breaks like traffic jams or traffic lights pass more quickly.  By contrast, the "Twitter Map, Heat of Conversations" app, in third place, utilises the "Twitter" communication platform to disclose events to the driver that are presently going on in his proximity.

Additionally, the app navigates him there when requested. Beyond that, Volkswagen gave prizes for creativity in the categories of Best Idea, Student Award and Best Community App. Along with cash and non-cash prizes, at 14,000 euros in total value, an internship at Volkswagen Group Research at Tokyo, Shanghai, California or Wolfsburg will be conferred as an award.

Digital applications are there to make automotive day-to-day life easier for Volkswagen drivers in the future. "Whether at the gasoline station, restaurant or garage -- they help to answer to individual wishes and needs in our mobile daily life rapidly and without complications and without distracting from the actual driving," explains Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, Head of Volkswagen Group Research and member of the panel of judges for the "App my Ride Contest."

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