Creative Commuter: Towards Designing Moments for Idea Generation and Incubation during the Commute

This research proposes leveraging commute time by car for idea incubation, targeting 80% of the US workforce who commute daily. Commuting, a potentially "mindless" task for seasoned drivers, offers an ideal environment for creative thinking that can be enhanced by mild immersive interactions to improve idea generation. The project integrates psychological interventions tailored for driving, drawing on automated driving advancements to ensure safety and effectiveness. Using a context-aware sensing framework, interactions are timed during appropriate driving scenarios to minimize distraction. The system obtains context data from car sensors and employs generative AI to deliver subtle interactions, enhancing user engagement and idea output without compromising safety. Evaluation includes measuring user engagement and post-drive self-reports to quantify the impact on idea generation and driving performance. This innovation integrates creativity support tools into daily commutes, potentially transforming in-car intelligence systems and enhancing productivity and innovation capabilities.