Lexus: AI Emotional Journey

Lexus AI Emotional Journey explores how video and audio can induce an emotional response in the viewers. Through face tracking technology, the interactive video reacts to the user's facial expression, delivering a unique advert every time. 

ROLE

Lead UX Designer

PROJECT TYPE

Website Design

Face Tracking

CLIENT

Lexus

CREDITS

Unit 9

YEAR

2021

The Execution

The Lexus ES AI Emotional Journey is an experiential film experience dynamically generated based on your current emotional state. Using AI sentiment analysis, we crafted personalised videos in real-time that mirror the viewer’s feelings, with live data visualisation corresponding to changes. As well as responding to the relevant emotions, the AI also aims to drive the viewer towards feeling more relaxed by the end of the film.

We used MorphCast’s software development kit to read and translate facial expressions. The sophisticated technology detected faces and used a CNN (Deep Convolutional Neural Network) approach to analyse factors like emotion, age, gender, and head pose. Once it determined your current mood — stressed, surprised, relaxed, puzzled, or happy — it adjusted the colours, videos, sounds, and animated graphic elements accordingly to match.

(by: Unit9)

The Result

The experimental film experience is unlike anything that’s been done before. It was exciting to explore AI technology in new ways and really push the limits of what’s possible.

This was not technology for technology’s sake; it was an opportunity for Lexus to demonstrate its commitment to intelligent technology in an innovative, user-centric way, and to connect with their audience on a deeper, more personal level.

Designing for Children

There were many considerations to be made within this project due to the target demographic of a young user base combined with a quick turn-around.It was important that this app ran smoothly on lower end devices, taking into consideration that the younger user base typically engage with handed down technologies.

Additionally, the young demographic shaped the entire UX, not just in terms of traditional considerations regarding on-screen elements, but the physical practicalities of small hands on devices of varying size and weight.