scholarly journals Engagement in Non-Driving Related Tasks as a Non-Intrusive Measure for Mode Awareness: A Simulator Study

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yannick Forster ◽  
Viktoria Geisel ◽  
Sebastian Hergeth ◽  
Frederik Naujoks ◽  
Andreas Keinath
Keyword(s):  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Minimum Degree ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Repeated Interaction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Machine Interface ◽  
Simulator Study ◽  
Design And Practice

Research on the role of non-driving related tasks (NDRT) in the area of automated driving is indispensable. At the same time, the construct mode awareness has received considerable interest in regard to human–machine interface (HMI) evaluation. Based on the expectation that HMI design and practice with different levels of driving automation influence NDRT engagement, a driving simulator study was conducted. In a 2 × 5 (automation level x block) design, N = 49 participants completed several transitions of control. They were told that they could engage in an NDRT if they felt safe and comfortable to do so. The NDRT was the Surrogate Reference Task (SuRT) as a representative of a wide range of visual–manual NDRTs. Engagement (i.e., number of inputs on the NDRT interface) was assessed at the onset of a respective episode of automated driving (i.e., after transition) and during ongoing automation (i.e., before subsequent transition). Results revealed that over time, NDRT engagement increased during both L2 and L3 automation until stable engagement at the third block. This trend was observed for both onset and ongoing NDRT engagement. The overall engagement level and the increase in engagement are significantly stronger for L3 automation compared to L2 automation. These results outline the potential of NDRT engagement as an online non-intrusive measure for mode awareness. Moreover, repeated interaction is necessary until users are familiar with the automated system and its HMI to engage in NDRTs. These results provide researchers and practitioners with indications about users’ minimum degree of familiarity with driving automation and HMIs for mode awareness testing.

scholarly journals How Do Drivers Respond to Silent Automation Failures? Driving Simulator Study and Comparison of Computational Driver Braking Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 1212-1229
Author(s):  
Giulio Bianchi Piccinini ◽  
Esko Lehtonen ◽  
Fabio Forcolin ◽  
Johan Engström ◽  
Deike Albers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Model ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Cruise Control ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Driver Response ◽  
Driving Condition ◽  
Simulator Study

Objective This paper aims to describe and test novel computational driver models, predicting drivers’ brake reaction times (BRTs) to different levels of lead vehicle braking, during driving with cruise control (CC) and during silent failures of adaptive cruise control (ACC). Background Validated computational models predicting BRTs to silent failures of automation are lacking but are important for assessing the safety benefits of automated driving. Method Two alternative models of driver response to silent ACC failures are proposed: a looming prediction model, assuming that drivers embody a generative model of ACC, and a lower gain model, assuming that drivers’ arousal decreases due to monitoring of the automated system. Predictions of BRTs issued by the models were tested using a driving simulator study. Results The driving simulator study confirmed the predictions of the models: (a) BRTs were significantly shorter with an increase in kinematic criticality, both during driving with CC and during driving with ACC; (b) BRTs were significantly delayed when driving with ACC compared with driving with CC. However, the predicted BRTs were longer than the ones observed, entailing a fitting of the models to the data from the study. Conclusion Both the looming prediction model and the lower gain model predict well the BRTs for the ACC driving condition. However, the looming prediction model has the advantage of being able to predict average BRTs using the exact same parameters as the model fitted to the CC driving data. Application Knowledge resulting from this research can be helpful for assessing the safety benefits of automated driving.

scholarly journals Context-Adaptive Availability Notifications for an SAE Level 3 Automation

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Simon Danner ◽  
Alexander Feierle ◽  
Carina Manger ◽  
Klaus Bengler
Keyword(s):  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Human Machine Interface ◽  
Gaze Behavior ◽  
Activation Time ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Driving Function ◽  
The Road ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Machine Interface ◽  
Simulator Study

Context-adaptive functions are not new in the driving context, but even so, investigations into these functions concerning the automation human–machine interface (aHMI) have yet to be carried out. This study presents research into context-adaptive availability notifications for an SAE Level 3 automation in scenarios where participants were surprised by either availability or non-availability. For this purpose, participants (N = 30) took part in a driving simulator study, experiencing a baseline HMI concept as a comparison, and a context-adaptive HMI concept that provided context-adaptive availability notifications with the aim of improving acceptance and usability, while decreasing frustration (due to unexpected non-availability) and gaze deviation from the road when driving manually. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that participants, when experiencing the context-adaptive HMI, would activate the automated driving function more quickly when facing unexpected availability. None of the hypotheses could be statistically confirmed; indeed, where gaze behavior was concerned, the opposite effects were found, indicating increased distraction induced by the context-adaptive HMI. However, the trend in respect to the activation time was towards shorter times with the context-adaptive notifications. These results led to the conclusion that context-adaptive availability notifications might not always be beneficial for users, while more salient availability notifications in the case of an unexpected availability could be advantageous.

scholarly journals Improving Usefulness of Automated Driving by Lowering Primary Task Interference through HMI Design

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Naujoks ◽  
Yannick Forster ◽  
Katharina Wiedemann ◽  
Alexandra Neukum
Keyword(s):  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Primary Task ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Task Interference ◽  
Driving System ◽  
Lane Changes ◽  
Speech Output ◽  
Driving Time ◽  
Standard Information ◽  
Machine Interface

During conditionally automated driving (CAD), driving time can be used for non-driving-related tasks (NDRTs). To increase safety and comfort of an automated ride, upcoming automated manoeuvres such as lane changes or speed adaptations may be communicated to the driver. However, as the driver’s primary task consists of performing NDRTs, they might prefer to be informed in a nondistracting way. In this paper, the potential of using speech output to improve human-automation interaction is explored. A sample of 17 participants completed different situations which involved communication between the automation and the driver in a motion-based driving simulator. The Human-Machine Interface (HMI) of the automated driving system consisted of a visual-auditory HMI with either generic auditory feedback (i.e., standard information tones) or additional speech output. The drivers were asked to perform a common NDRT during the drive. Compared to generic auditory output, communicating upcoming automated manoeuvres additionally by speech led to a decrease in self-reported visual workload and decreased monitoring of the visual HMI. However, interruptions of the NDRT were not affected by additional speech output. Participants clearly favoured the HMI with additional speech-based output, demonstrating the potential of speech to enhance usefulness and acceptance of automated vehicles.

scholarly journals Information Needs and Visual Attention during Urban, Highly Automated Driving—An Investigation of Potential Influencing Factors

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Feierle ◽  
Simon Danner ◽  
Sarah Steininger ◽  
Klaus Bengler
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Automation System ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Navigation Data ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
Machine Interface ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Highly Automated Driving

During highly automated driving, the passenger is allowed to conduct non-driving related activities (NDRA) and no longer has to act as a fallback at the functional limits of the driving automation system. Previous research has shown that at lower levels of automation, passengers still wish to be informed about automated vehicle behavior to a certain extent. Due to the aim of the introduction of urban automated driving, which is characterized by high complexity, we investigated the information needs and visual attention of the passenger during urban, highly automated driving. Additionally, there was an investigation into the influence of the experience of automated driving and of NDRAs on these results. Forty participants took part in a driving simulator study. As well as the information presented on the human–machine interface (system status, navigation information, speed and speed limit), participants requested information about maneuvers, reasons for maneuvers, environmental settings and additional navigation data. Visual attention was significantly affected by the NDRA, while the experience of automated driving had no effect. Experience and NDRA showed no significant effect on the need for information. Differences in information needs seem to be due to the requirements of the individual passenger, rather than the investigated factors.

scholarly journals Does a Confidence Level for Automated Driving Time Estimations Improve the Subjective Evaluation of an Automation HMI?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Tobias Hecht ◽  
Simon Danner ◽  
Alexander Feierle ◽  
Klaus Bengler
Keyword(s):  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Subjective Evaluation ◽  
Mixed Design ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Traffic Conditions ◽  
Driving Time ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Machine Interface ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Current research in human factors and automated driving is increasingly focusing on predictable transitions instead of urgent and critical take-overs. Predictive human–machine interface (HMI) elements displaying the remaining time until the next request to intervene were identified as a user need, especially when the user is engaging in non-driving related activities (NDRA). However, these estimations are prone to errors due to changing traffic conditions and updated map-based information. Thus, we investigated a confidence display for Level 3 automated driving time estimations. Based on a preliminary study, a confidence display resembling a mobile phone connectivity symbol was developed. In a mixed-design driving simulator study with 32 participants, we assessed the impact of the confidence display concept (within factor) on usability, frustration, trust and acceptance during city and highway automated driving (between factor). During automated driving sections, participants engaged in a naturalistic visual NDRA to create a realistic scenario. Significant effects were found for the scenario: participants in the city experienced higher levels of frustration. However, the confidence display has no significant impact on the subjective evaluation and most participants preferred the baseline HMI without a confidence symbol.

Function-Specific Uncertainty Communication in Automated Driving

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-97
Author(s):  
Alexander Kunze ◽  
Stephen J. Summerskill ◽  
Russell Marshall ◽  
Ashleigh J. Filtness
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Driving Experience ◽  
Visual Variables ◽  
Simulator Study ◽  
The Impact

Conveying the overall uncertainties of automated driving systems was shown to improve trust calibration and situation awareness, resulting in safer takeovers. However, the impact of presenting the uncertainties of multiple system functions has yet to be investigated. Further, existing research lacks recommendations for visualizing uncertainties in a driving context. The first study outlined in this publication investigated the implications of conveying function-specific uncertainties. The results of the driving simulator study indicate that the effects on takeover performance depends on driving experience, with less experienced drivers benefitting most. Interview responses revealed that workload increments are a major inhibitor of these benefits. Based on these findings, the second study explored the suitability of 11 visual variables for an augmented reality-based uncertainty display. The results show that particularly hue and animation-based variables are appropriate for conveying uncertainty changes. The findings inform the design of all displays that show content varying in urgency.

The influence of experienced severe road traffic accidents on take-over reactions and non-driving-related tasks in an automated driving simulator study

2021 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 106408
Author(s):  
Klemens Weigl ◽  
Clemens Schartmüller ◽  
Philipp Wintersberger ◽  
Marco Steinhauser ◽  
Andreas Riener
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Road Traffic Accidents ◽  
Automated Driving ◽  
Simulator Study
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