Between challenge and solution: STATUSCOPE – a tool for designing status communication in highly automated vehicles

Abstract

The task of designing human-machine interfaces for automated driving remains a largely unexplored area. The research on human factors in context of vehicle automation provides insights into a number of aspects that need to be considered. Specific requirements and recommendations can be found as well as proposals for design frameworks. Although extensive knowledge on automated systems exists, its implications for design are not always straightforward. This work thus bridge the gap between current research findings and the request for new design solutions by proposing a tool STATUSCOPE that allows to explore the design space of status communication in highly automated vehicles in a tangible and dynamic form. By exploring the design space of status communication for automated driving via categories, aspects and their properties, the STATUSCOPE tool provides designers with a starting point to approach this challenge. The proposed aid can serve to generate new ideas, make conscious decisions about design as well as analyze existing concepts. It is to be used in a group or individually, and can be especially suitable for teams where designers need to mediate with experts of various fields. Both human-centered and technology-driven development is supported. The design space represented in the STATUSCOPE has been identified by a structured literature review, with use of content analysis methods, and tested with industry experts in workshops. The format of this design support was created in an iterative process in which it has been continuously improved. The benefit of the tool is that it delivers research findings in a format that can be readily used in design-oriented activities, thus transforming the complexity of the subject into a tangible and playful creativity support. This approach not only applies the concept of design space within the automotive domain, but also extends it to a hands-on tool facilitating interaction design.