As the core competitiveness of automobiles is shifting towards 'passenger experience,' it has emerged that a new approach is needed that views automobiles not as simple means of transportation but as human-centered experience spaces.

The Korea Automobile Research Institute recently published the April 2025 issue of 'Mobility Insight' and emphasized the importance of HMI (Human-Machine Interface) and UX (User Experience) in the automotive industry.

With the full-fledged arrival of the autonomous vehicle era, automobiles are transforming beyond mere transportation into "smart living spaces," and as a result, passenger experience is becoming a key competitive factor.

According to this researcher's presentation, HMI is evolving from the traditional focus on physical buttons and levers to intuitive interfaces such as voice recognition and gesture control.

At the same time, UX encompasses the entire vehicle use experience and is rapidly being reorganized from driver-centered to passenger-centered.

This shift was also evident at CES 2025 earlier this year. Major global automakers have focused on transforming the in-car user experience by introducing advanced HMI technologies.

Reflecting this, the Korea Automobile Research Institute recently held a symposium with domestic experts on HMI and UX, which have emerged as a new chapter in automotive competition.

The symposium examined domestic and international trends in related technologies and discussed strategies and challenges for domestic companies to secure competitiveness in the global market.

At this symposium, experts emphasized the concept of 'HVE (Human Vehicle Experience),' which is an integrated concept of HMI and UX.

This approach views vehicles not simply as a means of transportation, but as human-centered experience spaces. It starts from the recognition that in the era of autonomous driving, every moment before and after boarding must be connected as a single experience.

On the other hand, a UX-centric approach is currently lacking in the domestic automotive industry. Experts point out the need for a comprehensive strategy that considers not only technological development but also the industrialization process.

In particular, the need for standardization work through government projects was also discussed. While Europe and the United States are already actively conducting HMI/UX research at the government level, there have been criticisms that related projects in Korea are classified as design-related and therefore lack policy support.

Accordingly, experts unanimously agreed that institutional improvements are needed to improve the research environment and expand corporate participation.

Additionally, the issue was raised that HMI technology is undervalued despite being directly linked to safety rather than simply providing convenience.

As it is a key element involved in accident prevention and driver cognitive response, there were opinions that the government should establish an HMI roadmap and establish a clear support system.

Automotive UX goes beyond providing usability and convenience while driving; it can also serve as an opportunity to create new revenue models.

Experts explained, “Introducing the concept of business UX can create an ecosystem that can generate revenue in the automotive space.”

There is also a prediction that UX will likely be implemented as a new function in the future SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) environment.

Along with this, the need for talent development and expanded research in the automotive HMI/UX field was emphasized.

Because the technology is a convergent field that includes multidisciplinary elements, a more comprehensive research approach is required.

Experts advised that automotive HMI should be linked to complex technologies such as perception and signal processing, rather than simply designing an interface.

The Korea Automotive Research Institute plans to continue conducting research on HMI and UX in the future and support domestic automobile companies in securing global competitiveness.

Experts say, “Changes in the automobile industry are not only driven by technological advancements but also by innovations in user experience.He emphasized that “it must proceed together.”