Improvement of driver active interventions during automated driving by displaying trajectory pointers-A driving...

Area of Science:

• Human-computer interaction
• Automotive engineering
• Road safety

Background:

• Automated driving systems (ADS) require drivers to monitor traffic and be ready to take control.
• A critical challenge is the handover of vehicle control from automated to manual operation.
• Drivers must actively intervene when ADS fail to detect objects or hazards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel human-machine interface (HMI) for automated driving.
• The HMI aims to continuously indicate the vehicle's future position to the driver.
• To compare the effectiveness of this proposed HMI against a conventional notification-based HMI.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Toyota Dynamic Driving Simulator for controlled experiments.
• Recruited 48 participants, divided into two groups, each using a different HMI.
• Simulated a critical scenario where the ADS failed to detect an obstacle.

Main Results:

• The proposed HMI, indicating future vehicle position, achieved a significantly higher collision avoidance rate.
• Drivers using the proposed HMI demonstrated faster reaction times in taking manual control (hands-on and override).
• Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of these findings (χ² = 6.38, P < .05; t test, P < .05).

Conclusions:

• Continuously displaying the vehicle's future position is an effective HMI strategy for ADS.
• This proactive information display facilitates timely and active driver intervention.
• The findings support the development of advanced HMIs to enhance safety in automated vehicles.