Seating and Driver Interactions in Automated Vehicles: Development of a User Study Investigating Seating Positions and HMIs
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Biomedical engineering (MPBME), MSc
Publicerad
2020
Författare
Makris, Melina
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The technology for automated vehicles is developing rapidly, turning drivers
into passengers, having end users demand a more relaxed seating position. The
reclined seating position is one of the most popular expectation among end users,
nevertheless, there is a lack of investigations of reclined seating positions in highly
automated vehicles in dynamic environments. To ll this gap, the thesis proposes
a valid user study methodology to enable assessing the end user preferences and
requirements on the reclined seating position, as well as its related HMIs between
active and automated driving mode, and between upright and reclined seating
position. Moreover, it evaluates usability problems of the reclined seating position
and its related HMIs, based on the seating and HMIs of a prototype vehicle
provided by Autoliv.
The research approach encompasses methods such as Failure Mode and E ect
Analysis, subjective data collection methods and applied meta-methods to develop
a valid user study method. Not only did the approach yield useful insights for the
development of a user study method of high degree of validity, but it also helped
identify ethical aspects to consider when conducting user studies with human
subjects. For the evaluation of the reclined seating position and its related HMIs
in Autoliv's prototype vehicle, methods such as heuristic evaluation and semi-
structured interviews were utilised. This approach generated ndings of usability
problems of the reclined seating position and HMIs.
The project found that in order to conduct a valid user study assessing end
user preferences and requirements on the reclined seating position and its related
HMIs, six aspects must be considered. These aspects include; recruiting relevant
participants, providing them with consistent tasks, providing adequate time constraints,
avoiding social in
uences, utilising appropriate data collections methods and
carrying out a pilot study. Moreover the project recommended a set of brief
guidelines on how to re ne the reclined seating and its HMIs in Autoliv's prototype
vehicle to increase usability. These ndings set the basis for future investigation
of the end user requirements and preferences of a reclined seating position and
related HMIs in highly automated vehicles.