Abstract
Broad access to automated cars (ACs) that can reliably and unconditionally drive in all environments is still some years away. Urban areas pose a particular challenge to ACs, since even perfectly reliable systems may be forced to execute sudden reactive driving maneuvers in hard-to-predict hazardous situations. This may negatively surprise the driver, possibly causing discomfort, anxiety or loss of trust, which might be a risk for the acceptance of the technology in general. To counter this, we suggest an explanatory windshield display interface with augmented reality (AR) elements to support driver situation awareness (SA). It provides the driver with information about the car’s perceptive capabilities and driving decisions. We created a prototype in a human-centered approach and implemented the interface in a mixed-reality driving simulation. We conducted a user study to assess its influence on driver SA. We collected objective SA scores and self-ratings, both of which yielded a significant improvement with our interface in good (medium effect) and in bad (large effect) visibility conditions. We conclude that explanatory AR interfaces could be a viable measure against unwarranted driver discomfort and loss of trust in critical urban situations by elevating SA.
Highlights
The path to fully automated cars (ACs) on a larger scale is still a long one
After the general introduction but before the briefing and setup for the main study tasks, we obtained some information about participants’ knowledge and attitude towards Autonomous Driving (AD) in general. The items of this pre-test are partially similar to the ones used during the user interfaces (UIs) design process, but here serve the purpose of better understanding the post-study results and recognize potential changes resulting from the study
In between the pre-test items, we introduced the idea of a Head-up displays (HUDs) or windshield displays (WSDs) interface that gives visual information to explain the AC’s driving
Summary
The path to fully automated cars (ACs) on a larger scale is still a long one. The European RoadTransport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) currently expects the step-wise increase of automation in cars to reach full automation around the end of the 2020s [1]. Driving Automation Levels, Technology Acceptance and Situation Awareness. 4 defines a level of high automation in which the AC is capable of performing all functions under certain conditions (e.g., while driving in highway/freeway environments). Level 5 describes full automation and means that the AC can perform all driving unconditionally. For both levels 4 and 5, the driver may still have the option to control the vehicle. When we mention AD and ACs in the scope of this work, we are referring to SAE level 4–5 automation with no driver interference regarding the actual driving functions of the car, i.e., the driver is basically a passenger in the driver’s seat
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