At the LA Auto Show and Connected Car Expo autonomous car issues were discussed and shown to the public. A panel member for the self-driving panel Gary O’Brien, global director of advanced engineering at Delphi said, “People are going to be much better than any algorithm we develop and code into a computer.” Volvo showed a new clean Swedish style design interior design at the show called Concept 26. Researchers are still working on ways to combat the problems for humans associated with self-driving vehicle.s
For Volvo, autonomous driving is about people who want to read, view media or be productive. When the driver wants the car to drive car the steering wheel retracts, the seat reclines and a large LCD screen flips over from the dashboard. Volvo Cars’ ongoing Drive Me research project, which will see an extended fleet of fully autonomous cars driving real customers on the roads of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2017.
A new clean Swedish style interior is not all that is needed for autonomous cars. People don’t trust technology and the movement without the eyes adjusting can cause nausea.
Faurecia, presented research that showed what behavioral changes that it believes will impact people in self-driving cars at the Connected Car Expo during the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Faurecia and affiliated research organizations identified several important challenges the industry must address to mitigate consumer apprehension to autonomous driving.
People in the car need to feel safe and secure. Research data suggests that increased Situation Awareness helps drivers of autonomous vehicles feel confidence and trust in the system. Technologies like Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) warnings can provide important information on what the vehicle is doing when used properly.
However, drivers report that they often find the use and interface of these systems complicated and sometimes turn them off, reducing their benefit.
Keeping the driver alert and ready for a transfer of control is also a critical issue that was identified. Providing information in new ways that easily attract attention and effectively increase the driver’s Situation Awareness must be explored.
The self-driving will allow reading, working, socializing, and eating are just a few of the potential activities that will create the need for a more flexible interior while preserving safety. This issue appears to be addressed by Volvo’s Concept 26.
Research from the University of Michigan shows that people expect to use passenger time in an autonomous vehicle to do things like read, or use handheld devices, which can contribute to motion sickness for occupants. The factors contributing to motion sickness are known and Faurecia is now in active development around innovations to mitigate or avoid the onset of these symptoms.
Faurecia believes these and other considerations will take an increasingly important role in the future development of autonomous transportation, with more attention placed on what’s happening inside the vehicle.