Identifying the most comfortable interpersonal distances for autonomous vehicles' passengers.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Automotive Design
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Autonomous vehicle interiors require optimization for Non-Driving Related Activities (NDRAs).
• Previous research focused on reconfigurable interiors for activities like reading, working, and conversing.
• This study builds upon prior work by investigating seating arrangements and interpersonal distances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how seating configurations and interpersonal distances affect passenger comfort and conversational quality in autonomous vehicles.
• To explore the influence of gender, age, and nationality on interpersonal spatial preferences within vehicle cabins, using proxemics theory.
• To determine ideal seating distances for various configurations and understand influencing factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a virtual reality environment (Unity, HoloLens 2) to simulate three seating configurations: alpha (side-by-side), beta (opposite, parallel axes), and gamma (face-to-face).
• Thirty-seven participants (aged 23-33) selected preferred interpersonal distances while interacting with a virtual mannequin in Augmented Reality (AR).
• Collected objective measurements and subjective feedback via a post-test questionnaire.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in interpersonal distances was found between conversing and non-conversing states.
• Interpersonal distance varied significantly based on social relationships.
• Preferences for interpersonal space were influenced by gender, body size, and cultural background.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the need for adaptable autonomous vehicle interior layouts to accommodate diverse passenger spatial preferences.
• Seating configuration and interpersonal distance are critical factors for passenger comfort and social interaction quality.
• Future designs should consider individual and cultural variations in proxemics to enhance user experience.