Ola S1 Scooters are next gen scooters that come with Bluetooth Integration and Speakers, thus allowing you to enable calling controls on the scooter like any other four wheelers. Our primary task was to ensure that accepting calls while on scooter is easy, safe and simple.
Take calls while riding the scooter
We were dedicated to create a solution that allowed riders to answer calls with ease while riding - keeping safety a top priority. We wanted to keep the handlebar controls intuitive and easy to understand to minimize distractions for the riders. We went through several iterations to make it simple and straightforward.
For rider safety touch functions are inactive when the scooter is on the move. So, we used dynamic icons - clearly showing when touch controls were active.
Explorations
Pairing phone with scooter to enable controls from the scooter was never the issue. It has been done millions of times. Challenge was to have a safe way to accept or reject calls while riding a scooter. Not many scooters have the option to take calls from the scooter.
Reaction
The feature was first rolled out to limited users in MoveOS 3 BETA release in October 2022. The feature was officially rolled out to all the Ola Electric S1 users in December 2022.
Conclusion
The project evolved through numerous revisions guided by valuable feedback from various team members. These insights were instrumental in refining the nuances of the project, ensuring a comprehensive and well-thought-out approach.
It was well-received by customers. For me, the best part was figuring out how to make both the screen and the physical buttons work together for this.
