Autonomous driving technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and the rollout of Level 3 autonomy is redefining the value proposition of the in-cabin space.
As driving responsibility transfers between the system and the human driver, users need a smooth transition between rest and ready-to-take-over states. The traditional cockpit design philosophy centred on driving controls is no longer fit for this new scenario.
How to ease take-over anxiety through experience design while upholding safety within a comforting, restorative cabin atmosphere is a key challenge to tackle for next-generation intelligent cockpit design. Insights drawn from Ford’s cross-industry user design practice will be discussed at the Hongqiao International Science and Technology Week 2026 forum.
Hongqiao International Science and Technology Week will take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from November 20 to 22, 2026. As one of its six thematic stages, the Future Mobility & Energy Stage brings together industry practitioners from relevant sectors. Through keynote speeches and panel discussions, it explores technology applications, business models and collaboration opportunities amid mobility revolution and energy transition.
The track agenda covers AI enablement and global overseas expansion, commercial closed-loop models for solar-storage-charging systems, full lifecycle battery management and V2G business ecosystems, as well as the intersection of autonomous driving, low-altitude economy and new energy. It links innovation practices across energy and mobility, offering diverse perspectives for industrial exchange and partnership.
At this forum, Claire CHING, Deputy Director of Commercial Design at Ford Motor Company, will deliver the keynote speech Cabin Experience Designed for L3 — From Restorative Comfort to Assured Safety. Drawing on years of user experience practice across automotive and healthcare sectors, she will elaborate the design logic behind the transformation of L3 cabins into wellbeing-oriented third spaces. She will share cabin implementation solutions that ease occupant anxiety via emotion recognition and multimodal environmental adjustment, paired with occupant monitoring and safety redundancy strategies to reconcile comfort and driving safety.
Keynote Cabin Experience Designed for L3 — From Restorative Comfort to Assured Safety
For Level 3 autonomous driving, the intelligent cockpit evolves from a “driving-assistance space” into a “third space that delivers both restoration and peace of mind”. Leveraging environmental perception, emotion recognition, seat positioning, scent, lighting and multimodal interaction, the cabin relieves users’ anxiety while they wait to take over control. Meanwhile, pre-tensioning seatbelts, occupant status monitoring, redundant alerts and scenario-based safety strategies ensure comfort stays within safety limits, delivering a seamless experience spanning restorative wellbeing and secure, enjoyable riding.
Date: November 21, 2026 Stage: Future Mobility & Energy
Speaker Bio
Claire CHING
Ford Motor Company Deputy Director of Commercial Design
She holds a master’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. With over ten years of experience in product strategy and user experience design across the automotive and healthcare industries, she adopts human-centred design philosophy to accelerate innovation within organisations.
Her key projects include experience design for Lincoln’s new energy vehicles, innovative maternal and infant product lines at Philips, smart home IoT ecosystem experiences, and elderly care solutions for Panasonic. She is committed to integrating technology, digitalisation and business strategy into human-centric experience design. Her comprehensive expertise enables her to develop forward-looking solutions that help brands maintain competitive advantages in the marketplace.
