Android Automotive OS app development for Road.Travel
Road.Travel is a London-based startup that offers a new standard of virtual guidance for road trips, with curated routes and itineraries that adapt to drivers’ needs and interests. The company has already been awarded by Porsche, Ford, World Tourism Organization, and Volkswagen for its innovative solution connecting route creators, businesses, and travelers within a single network.
The challenge
The most challenging aspect of this project was the proper use of the Android Automotive OS since it's quite a new technology, as well as a vast variety of proprietary OS platforms built by different automotive OEMs. That's why Road.Travel team was looking for a reliable tech partner with profound Android development skills. Our client wanted to make sure the engineers get the full technical understanding of implementation limitations associated with various types of AAOS distros and adhere to strict app development guidelines from Google.
Delivered value
We quickly assembled an engineering team to analyze the client's requirements and scope out MVP estimate and project timeline. Lemberg Solutions managed to release an MVP app within the pressing deadline to satisfy the business needs of automotive OEMs waiting for the first release. Besides, we used the multi-module architecture during development to achieve flexible customization of the interface for vendors, including Google and Harman platforms, expanding the app use cases.
The process
The Road.Travel team reached out to Lemberg Solutions with the request to build a companion Android Automotive app for their existing web platform. The client aimed to expand it with an AAOS app running directly on in-vehicle infotainment systems, providing drivers with voice guidance on where to go.
Since we had the expertise required to deliver the project, Road.Travel initiated the cooperation with the fixed-price model. Such a collaboration model was the perfect match for the startup that needed to develop an MVP within the strict deadlines.
In the first phase of the project, our Android engineers, DevOps, QA, and PM specialists created an MVP of the AAOS road trip guidance app. The team covered all the MVP development stages, from environment and CI configuration to emulator-based testing. The provided MVP included guide overview, audio playback, interaction with the car’s navigation system, incognito mode, and other features. The app allowed users to check custom guides depending on real-time GPS location and view information about the trip, its author, highlights, and points of interest. To complete this project stage, our team followed the Scrumban methodology with a clear, prioritized scope, weekly syncs with the client, daily meetings with the team, and two demo presentations.
After the MVP release, our engineering team continues the cooperation with Road.Travel to implement additional features and adapt the app UI for other automotive hardware systems. We have expanded the collaboration with the client by engaging a UX/UI designer and taking over BA tasks to help the product owner with analysis and requirements elicitation. In the new project stage, we have also shifted from the fixed priсe to the T&M model as the scope of work has grown.
How it works
Lemberg quickly understood the nature of our business and our needs to adapt our web platform for in-car usage. They navigated the brief well and delivered on time and on budget. We have established a true partnership in working together on this important project, which we hope to continue.
