Benben robot App - assembly tutorials, remote control and AR experiences
Role
UX Design
UI Design
Product Design
Timeline
2022.12 - 2023.1
Benben is a robotic dog that consists of over 1800 pieces block, supporting assembly tutorial, remote control and AR experiences through an App based on mobile and tablet.
Overview
Benben robot is crafted at a 1:2.5 scale, mirroring the character from "The Wandering Earth 2." With 1800+ blocks, assembly is user-friendly through the App called "Beyond Gravity" in the Benben section. When users finish the assembly, the app is offering bluetooth remote control and AR scenes of the moon and ocean, simulating the adventures in the film.
This is a urgent project for our team, as we aim to release the app with all features before the movie launch date. We have a total of 30 days to design and deliver the final product.
Despite the tight timeline, we achieved excellent results. By the fifth day after the "The Wandering Earth 2" movie launch, Benben all units (Tmall and JD.com) were sold out, generating 1,000,000 RMB in revenue. Additionally, the app received a substantial number of positive reviews.
One of our customers comments on JD.com
"The entire assembly is guided by 3D blueprints, accessible through a dedicated app. The app itself has various features and is user-friendly, making each step clear for beginners. The Bluetooth connection is fast and stable; I controlled it using an Android phone without experiencing any disconnections. Even at a distance of over 10 meters, there was no noticeable delay, which is quite impressive."
Download the app.
Or download from the website https://mobile.beyondgravity.cn/download
Responsibility
My role in this project was to lead UX and UI design, expanding the Benben module based on the "Beyond Gravity" App to develop features such as Benben assembly tutorials, smart remote control, and AR experiences. Our team collaborated closely with the Benben robot hardware development and sales teams, completing product research, experience design, interaction design, and UI design within two months. The development process was smooth, and we successfully launched the App on major application markets.
Design Process
Challenges & Goals
🎉
🤔️
How might we create a tool that efficiently enhances the assembly experience for customers who have purchased Benben robots, making it more engaging and playful?
Will digital interactive product enhance customers' experience and assembly more efficiently than traditional ones?
User Analysis
10+
👦🏻 👧🏼
years old
Teens
👨🏾 👩🏼
Adults
👩🏻 👨🏼
Parents
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Users love the Benben character from "The Wandering Earth 2".
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Users like to play and assemble building blocks.
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Users usually play with their family and friends.
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Users are sensitive to sounds and music.
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Users like dynamic design.
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Users recognize 3D models more than simple 2D graphics.
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Users enjoy high-tech and intelligent products.
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Users would like to try the new techs and experiences.
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Parents purchase educational toys for their children, providing an opportunity for them to build, play, and learn.
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Parents invest in products to engage their children, so they can focus on their own activities.
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Parents alleviate guilt by providing their children with educational products that occupy kids' time.
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Parents increasingly adopt digital devices and new technologies to facilitate their children's education.
Personas
Lily
Girl
11 years old
Has a 3-year older brother
primary school student
NEEDS & GOALS
She has a great impression on Benben from the movie
She wants to create things
She likes to play with her brother and friends
She needs to improve her hand-on skills
She enjoys AR and VR games a lot.
She wants to get rewards from her teacher and parents
Jason
Male
33 years old
In a relationship
Accountant
NEEDS & GOALS
He is busy at his work and he needs time to relax on weekends
He is a sci-fi fan and has a lot of collectible figures and LEGOs
He wants a professional tool to help him assemble the blocks
He likes to play LEGO with his girlfriend
He wants some products that can smoothly control the toy
He is interested in any cutting-edge technology and experience
Benben's hardware
As the designer for Benben's app, except knowing the users, my main focus is understanding the hardware as well. I need to know how it's built and the exact steps and flow for installation to create a user-friendly assembly guide.
The whole product includes:
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6 numbered bags with over 1800 blocks
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4 uniquely molded omni-wheels for Benben's movement
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The power components in a white box, including a Bluetooth receiver and four monster motors.
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2 large stickers and the instruction manual for “The Wandering Earth 2” movie.
When assembling, I followed the 3D instruction guide step by step. I realized that certain points are crucial for users to grasp the overall picture and anticipate the results. For instance, providing information about the contents of each bag and showing the outcomes at different stages can help users understand the assembly process and maintain an efficient pace. I documented any confusion or tips that arose during assembly to aid in developing a prototype and enhancing the digital assembly instructions.
Drawing on my LEGO experience, I completed the entire assembly in approximately 4.5 hours, but I recognize that my proficiency is not representative of the average user. To cater to a broader audience, I am considering a more user-friendly tutorial.
Benben's mecanum wheels are a highlight of the product hardware. By studying the principles of mecanum wheel motion, I have developed a design concept for Benben's Bluetooth remote control in the app. It is equipped with four mecanum wheels, including two left-rotating wheels and two right-rotating wheels, enabling omni-directional movements.The installation method is O-rectangle, with detailed instructions provided in the assembly tutorial. This installation method offers Benben 16 different motion trajectories.
Through discussions with experienced building block enthusiasts, we learned that controlling mecanum wheels with a regular joystick is challenging due to the need for careful consideration. Different motion trajectories involve varying forces and directions of the wheels. Therefore, we have decided to embed the control logic into the app using an integrated approach. Users can easily control Benben through joystick operations in the app's user interface, significantly reducing the time required for user decision-making and making remote control of Benben quick and user-friendly.
Based on Benben's product positioning, it is a versatile, all-terrain transport platform with a maximum load capacity of 2kg. After assembly, users can remotely control Benben to assist in transporting lightweight items or packages. The design team conducted a thorough analysis of 16 motion modes, considering user scenarios, and ultimately selected and retained 8 commonly used and in line with Benben's movie setting for the design of the remote control module in the app. Which are：
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Move Forward
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Move Backward
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Move Left
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Move right
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Turning Left
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Turning Right
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Drift Left
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Drift Right
Combining the above motion trajectories allows Benben to achieve omnidirectional rotation and movement.
Ideation
An app for assembling and remotely controlling Benben. Users easily access assembly instructions and tips, enhancing hands-on skills. After assembly, they can effortlessly use the app to control Benben, and explore scenes in augmented reality to continue the movie-inspired imagination. This product serves as an all-in-one tool for Benben robot.
App sitemap
Wireframes
The Benben section, found under the "Collection" tab, showcases a 3D rotating model of Benben at the center of the screen.
Tapping the centre
button "Assembly Tutorial" takes users to a step-by-step assembly instruction interfaces.
I created wireframes that highlights the key assembly points based on the app's sitemap design, and I've provided notes including interaction logics, corner cases and
Tapping the left
button "Remote Control" takes users to bluetooth remote controller pages after finishing the connection.
According to the research on Benben's hareware and mecanum wheels, I design two joysticks on remote controller. One is for 4 direction movements, forward, backward, left and right. The other is for Benben's rotation, turning left, turning right, drifting left and drifting right.
Tapping the third
button "Immersive experience" takes users to the AR section.
There are three different scenes for AR experience, which are moon scene, deep ocean scene and about Benben.
Final Delivery
1. Assembly tutorial
2. Remote controller
3. AR experience
Design based on guideline
Guiding interns to produce all user interfaces and edge cases based on app design specifications. Organizing all design elements into symbols and creating markers and cutouts that developers can use. Defining a design system for designers and developers to ensure consistency in design.
User Feedbacks and Iteration
After Benben officially launched. We received the first wave of user feedback. To enhance the user experience and facilitate tutorial viewing, we introduced a tablet version of the app. We efficiently organized user feedback and data to iterate on tablet version.
10000+ sale
96% Positive Reviews
1300+ Good Comments with pics
