To answer the danger of nuclear or chemical accidents and terrorist attacks, the German Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Response (BBK) has developed a reconnaissance vehicle that can determine nuclear and chemical measurements in case of a catastrophe.

The Institute for Integrated Design (IID) at the University of the Arts Bremen was assigned to design the central component for measurements and coordination inside the vehicle in cooperation with the Institute of Automation (IAT) at the University Bremen and the fire brigade Bremen.

The challenge was to design the interactive interface of the software and the interior of the cabin in consideration of the extremely stressful circumstances that it will be used in, and of how the course of actions and the evaluation of information take place in such conditions.

The interface of the software has to visually communicate the coordination of the different vehicles, the information collected from different sources, and integrate a range of different means of operation such as touch screen, keyboard etc. By designing the software to be easily comprehended and intuitive, it secures functionality and reliability in stressful situations and enables users to make important decisions quickly. The interior of the cabin provides an undisturbed working environment, whether the vehicle is resting or moving.