Touch Drive A touch-based multi-function controller for autonomous driving

Abstract

The design space of In-Vehicle information systems for autonomous cars is an unexplored area, inviting interaction designers to explore various solutions for delivering an innovative autonomous driving experience. A big challenge is keeping the driver in the loop of the driving task being able to efficiently and safely control the car in a higher level, leaving the tedious operating tasks to be handled by automation. The information system should provide sufficient and proper feedback in order to build thorough understanding of automation’s actions, even while the driver is accessing infotainment features. A design solution is proposed in this thesis, which aims to establish a convenient way for controlling autonomous cars and at the same time enables the user to control tertiary features unrelated with the driving task. A visual tablet interface was implemented, enabling the driver to control the car in tactical level, assigning commands for changing lanes, turning at intersections, overtaking vehicles and changing the speed. The solution also provides a menu for accessing tertiary features related to infotainment control, by maintaining output functions and visual feedback which intend to keep the driver aware of the autonomous driving task. An overlay cover was also built to raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the tactical control by making the interface more intuitive. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate a tablet interface solution in the context of semi-autonomous driving, in terms of usability and user experience examining also human feelings towards automation, namely trust and controllability.