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Designers: Yifei Chen, Yifei Chen Design, San Jose, California, USA
Manufacturer: Yifei Chen Design, San Jose, California, USA

CoMove reimagines ridesharing by placing destination discovery and social connection at the centre of the transportation experience. While conventional rides hare platforms prioritise efficiency and convenience, CoMove recognises that where we’re going and who we’re going with fundamentally transforms how we experience our journeys.

Rather than treating transportation as a utilitarian necessity, CoMove sees each ride as an opportunity to foster meaningful connections around shared interests, experiences, and destinations. The platform operates as a knowledgeable host, understanding which people might enjoy traveling together based on what they like, where they’re headed, what they know, and what they hope to discover.

Users select between two ride modes: “Quiet Mode” for those who prefer a calm, solitary journey, and “Open to Chat” for those open to interaction. During onboarding or at the point of ride request, users can set intentions, such as seeking local recommendations, exploring new places with others, or simply sharing conversation. These choices feed into a context-aware matching ecosystem that intelligently aligns compatible riders in real time.

At the heart of CoMove is a social ecosystem structured around communities. These are shaped by shared interests, locations, or activities, such as Coffee Enthusiasts, Downtown Explorers, or Festival Followers. These communities provide more than a filter for matching; they serve as the social infrastructure for repeat interactions and ongoing engagement. Through them, users gain access to trusted recommendations, build reputations by sharing local knowledge, and organise destination-based group plans.

Over time, those who consistently contribute insights and foster positive ride experiences are recognised as local experts, allowing the system to reward social engagement while enhancing the quality of its matches.

CoMove’s context-aware matching algorithm orchestrates each ride by assessing a dynamic compatibility score for every passenger combination. It begins with a multi-dimensional user profile that includes basic data such as demographics and interests, but also less tangible traits like conversation style, community affiliations, and destination expertise.

These data points are dynamically weighed against contextual variables, such as time of day, ride purpose, and route characteristics, to balance factors like route efficiency, social potential, trust, and knowledge complementarity. For instance, weekday rides to work might favour punctuality and quiet focus, while weekend outings would prioritise aligned interests and social potential. The system also learns continuously: by analysing post-ride feedback and successful connections, the algorithm fine-tunes its decision-making over time.

Inside the vehicle, CoMove enhances the ride experience with a shared screen system that subtly facilitates interaction without disrupting the natural flow of conversation. The display surfaces shared interests between passengers, suggests potential talking points, and provides information about destinations and local points of interest. For longer rides, it introduces interactive elements like collaborative playlists or light social games that make time pass meaningfully.

Riders can also co-manage ambiance settings, adjusting temperature, lighting, or music, without the awkwardness of making direct requests. The goal is not to automate socialisation but to gently support it, offering just enough structure to help conversations unfold naturally.

Beyond the ride itself, CoMove offers a post-journey engagement layer that transforms fleeting interactions into lasting connections. Users can add co-passengers to their in-app network, bookmark new destinations, and contribute reviews or mini-guides for others. Communities benefit from these contributions, gaining local insights and trusted guides to neighbourhood gems.

Users can also plan future rides with people they’ve met, co-organise group outings, or reflect on their travels through a dynamic map of their exploration. This creates a living record of one’s urban discovery, shaped not only by geography but also by the people encountered along the way.

The broader impact of CoMove reaches beyond the individual user. By guiding people toward locally recommended venues, it supports neighbourhood businesses and encourages exploration beyond familiar zones. In an increasingly digital world, it creates opportunities for authentic, in-person social connection, something many younger users, especially Gen Z, actively seek but rarely find in traditional transportation contexts.

Moreover, by making shared rides more appealing through personalisation and community, CoMove contributes to broader transportation efficiency and sustainability goals. It’s a platform that turns an everyday necessity into a meaningful experience, benefiting users, local economies, and the social fabric of cities.