Final human-vehicle interaction strategies for the interACT AVs

The interACT project aims to enable the safe deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) by developing novel software and hardware components for reliable communication between an AV, its on-board driver, and other road users. The project will place a particular focus on the design of innovative Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) to replace current human-human communications in mixed traffic environments. It is expected that reaching the project’s goals will facilitate the gradual integration of AVs in future transport networks. Task 4.2 of Work Package (WP) 4 centred on the design of interaction strategies for AVs, which will be implemented into the interACT demonstrator vehicles being developed as part of WP5 of the project. Driving strategies for AVs were assessed and design principles were defined, guiding the design process. Suitable technologies for the development of external HMI (eHMI) solutions were assessed. Based on this assessment, the WP4 partners developed concrete HMI solutions, which were evaluated in simulator- and virtual reality- based user studies, and further refined. A main eHMI design was developed, consisting of an LED light-band wrapped around the body of the vehicle. This light-band communicated the intentions of the AV (such as giving way or starting to move). Two secondary eHMI solutions were also developed. A variant of the light-band, where specific segments were illuminated, was used to communicate the perception of another traffic participant; and a combination of a single lamp and the light-band were used to communicate both AV intention and perception at the same time. To improve trust and acceptance of the AV for the on-board user, internal HMI solutions (iHMI) were also developed and evaluated in simulator-based user studies. Following the external HMI approach a LED light-band was installed in the interior of the AV and tested also for the iHMI interaction with the on-board user against a state of the art textual head-down display. Participants preferred the communication via the LED light-band and rated the interaction strategy containing information regarding detected traffic participants higher compared to information regarding the intention of the AV. This deliverable documents the process and results of the work conducted in WP 4 and serves as a basis for the technical development of the HMI solutions, which will be outlined in WP 4.3, as well as the implementation of the demonstration vehicles in WP 5