Watch Your Vehicle Driving at the City: Interior HMI with Augmented Reality for Automated Driving

It is very likely that automated vehicles will have to operate in mixed traffic environments for a longer period in the future. To deploy highly automated vehicles (HAV) in urban mixed traffic, it is essential to be able to communicate externally with other human road users (drivers of non-automated vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians) and internally with the passenger of the HAV. Internal communication through an interior human machine interface (HMI) keeps the passenger informed about the HAV's automation state and actions, in order to build trust and enable a more comfortable ride experience. In this study, we explore augmented reality (AR) as part of an interior HMI for this purpose. We follow a user-centric approach with user research, prototyping, and user experience evaluation. Results suggest that the passengers of HAVs have specific information needs concerning surrounding traffic and the current driving situation. AR could help to serve this need, for instance by highlighting relevant objects in the driving scene.