Abstract
There is ample research on assistance systems for drivers in conventional and automated vehicles. In the past, those systems were developed to increase safety but also to increase driver comfort. Since many common risks have by now been mitigated through such systems, the research and development focus expanded to also include comfort-related assistance. However, the passenger has rarely been taken into account explicitly, although it has been shown that passenger discomfort is a relevant problem. Therefore, this work investigated the potential of passenger assistance systems to reduce such discomfort. Three different passenger assistant system prototypes were tested in a driving study on public highway with N = 19 participants. The systems provided information about parameters related to the performance of the driver and one additionally provided a communicative means of influence. For two passenger assistant systems, it could be shown that they significantly reduced passenger discomfort in at least a subset of the evaluated situations. The majority of participants rated one or multiple of the assistant systems as more comfortable than a ride without assistance. The system providing information about the attentiveness of the driver was most effective in reducing discomfort and was rated as the most helpful system. The results show that explicitly considering the situation of passengers in the design of assistance systems can positively impact their comfort. This can be achieved using information from common systems targeting driver assistance available to the passenger.
Highlights
The first driver assistance systems, such as the anti-lock braking system, appeared around 50 years ago (Gietelink et al, 2006; Galvani, 2019) with the main aim to increase safety by stabilizing vehicle dynamics
The first hypothesis (H1a) was that the assistant systems would significantly reduce or prevent discomfort that was experienced in the respective baseline situation
The Adaptable Shared Safety Distance System (ASSD) system only reduced discomfort in situations experienced in the ride without assistance as extremely uncomfortable (13–15)
Summary
The first driver assistance systems, such as the anti-lock braking system, appeared around 50 years ago (Gietelink et al, 2006; Galvani, 2019) with the main aim to increase safety by stabilizing vehicle dynamics. There has been little research focused on passenger discomfort in general or how to actively increase their comfort using assistant systems. What does not matter in the context of automation, are social factors such as the relationship between driver and passenger as in a conventional vehicle. Another exception regarding research on passenger discomfort is research on the concept of motion sickness, in which symptoms are primarily triggered by physiological processes. Diels and Bos (2015) mention in their work design principles like display size, position, or information content that can be considered when designing user interfaces against motion sickness in automated vehicles. Cognitive and psychological mechanisms for discomfort that can arise when a passenger perceives a driving situation as unsafe e.g., during close following, are another field and will be addressed by the systems discussed in this paper
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
