Abstract
SAE level 2 and 3 semi-autonomous vehicles are widely available but, due to the nature of automation, their in-vehicle displays are required to communicate more complex information to the driver. Examination of interfaces from a variety of manufacturers revealed a clear lack of consistency in the way key information is displayed. Different manufacturers have adopted icons varying in shape and colour to convey the same message. When driving a semi-autonomous vehicle, mode awareness is critical for trust, performance and safety. Standardisation of icons has been shown to have many benefits including opening products up to wider international markets by helping overcome language and cultural barriers, by providing a method of communication which can surpass them. However, the current lack of standardisation in icon design could cause mode confusion and has little cross-vehicle compatibility. To understand the impact of mode confusion on users, a focus group was held in which participants were asked to interpret the meaning of icons from a variety of different driver interfaces. Ambiguity in user interpretations makes the case for the introduction of new ISO standard icons to better support drivers in SAE level 2 and 3 automated vehicles.
Highlights
As partially automated (SAE level 2), vehicles have been available for several years and conditionally automated (SAE level 3) vehicles are currently in production (Gasser and Westhoff 2012; Kim, et al 2020a, b; SAE 2018) dashboard displays are becoming more sophisticated and required to communicate more complex information (Locken et al 2020; You et al 202)
As colour was of such a concern to the participants, a comparison was undertaken between the interpretations of the meaning of colours from the participants’ comments, how these were used in the icons used in the focus group, standards recommended by authors and the recommendations from International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 2575
Due to a lack of standardisation in the icons relating to automated driving, manufacturers are independently designing icons, causing inconsistency (Carney, Campbell and Mitchell 1998)
Summary
As partially automated (SAE level 2), vehicles have been available for several years and conditionally automated (SAE level 3) vehicles are currently in production (Gasser and Westhoff 2012; Kim, et al 2020a, b; SAE 2018) dashboard displays are becoming more sophisticated and required to communicate more complex information (Locken et al 2020; You et al 202). This automation is formed from combining a system of longitudinal control (such as adaptive cruise control (ACC)) providing brake and throttle input with system(s) of lateral control (such as following lanes or a lead vehicle) providing steering. They have the benefit of consuming less space than text, of particular importance on the small and busy real estate of a screen (Green 1993; Baber and Wankling 1992) and, if well designed, can be universally understood and language independent (McDougall et al 2000; Chanwimalueng and Rapeepisarn 2013; Zwaga and Mijksenaar 2000; Buhler et al 2020)
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