Validating Operator Event Sequence Diagrams: The case of an automated vehicle to human driver handovers

Modelling Automation–Human Driver Handovers Using Operator Event Sequence Diagrams

Future Transportation ◽

10.3390/futuretransp1020020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 351-369

Author(s):

Neville A. Stanton ◽

James W. Brown ◽

Kirsten M. A. Revell ◽

Jed Clark ◽

Joy Richardson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Predictive Validity ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Event Sequence ◽

Sequence Diagrams ◽

Human Driver ◽

Wide Range ◽

Human Operators ◽

Vehicle Automation ◽

First Time

This research aims to show the effectiveness of Operator Event Sequence Diagrams (OESDs) in the normative modelling of vehicle automation to human drivers’ handovers and validate the models with observations from a study in a driving simulator. The handover of control from automation to human operators has proved problematic, and in the most extreme circumstances catastrophic. This is currently a topic of much concern in the design of automated vehicles. OESDs were used to inform the design of the interaction, which was then tested in a driving simulator. This test provided, for the first time, the opportunity to validate OESDs with data gathered from videoing the handover processes. The findings show that the normative predictions of driver activity determined during the handover from vehicle automation in a driving simulator performed well, and similar to other Human Factors methods. It is concluded that OESDs provided a useful method for the human-centred automation design and, as the predictive validity shows, can continue to be used with some confidence. The research in this paper has shown that OESDs can be used to anticipate normative behaviour of drivers engaged in handover activities with vehicle automation in a driving simulator. Therefore, OESDs offer a useful modelling tool for the Human Factors profession and could be applied to a wide range of applications and domains.

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OESDs in an on-road study of semi-automated vehicle to human driver handovers

Cognition Technology & Work ◽

10.1007/s10111-021-00682-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Neville A. Stanton ◽

James W. Brown ◽

Kirsten M. A. Revell ◽

Jisun Kim ◽

Joy Richardson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vehicle Control ◽

Future Research ◽

Strong Correlations ◽

Sequence Diagrams ◽

Driving Simulators ◽

Human Driver ◽

Handover Process ◽

Vehicle Automation ◽

The Uk ◽

Road Study

AbstractDesign of appropriate interaction and human–machine interfaces for the handover of control between vehicle automation and human driver is critical to the success of automated vehicles. Problems in this interfacing between the vehicle and driver have led, in some cases, to collisions and fatalities. In this project, Operator Event Sequence Diagrams (OESDs) were used to design the handover activities to and from vehicle automation. Previous work undertaken in driving simulators has shown that the OESDs can be used to anticipate the likely activities of drivers during the handover of vehicle control. Three such studies showed that there was a strong correlation between the activities drivers represented in OESDs and those observed from videos of drivers in the handover process, in driving simulators. For the current study, OESDs were constructed during the design of the interaction and interfaces for the handover of control to and from vehicle automation. Videos of drivers during the handover were taken on motorways in the UK and compared with the predictions from the OESDs. As before, there were strong correlations between those activities anticipated in the OESDs and those observed during the handover of vehicle control from automation to the human driver. This means that OESDs can be used with some confidence as part of the vehicle automation design process, although validity generalisation remains an important goal for future research.

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Drivers’ Perceptions of Functionality Implied by Terms Used to Describe Automation in Vehicles

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931218621430 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 1893-1897 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michael A. Nees

Keyword(s):

Future Research ◽

Automated Vehicle ◽

Human Driver ◽

Trust In Automation ◽

Vehicle Automation ◽

First Time

The expectations induced by the labels used to describe vehicle automation are important to understand, because research has shown that expectations can affect trust in automation even before a person uses the system for the first time. An online sample of drivers rated the perceived division of driving responsibilities implied by common terms used to describe automation. Ratings of 13 terms were made on a scale from 1 (“human driver is entirely responsible”) to 7 (“vehicle is entirely responsible”) for three driving tasks (steering, accelerating/braking, and monitoring). In several instances, the functionality implied by automation terms did not match the technical definitions of the terms and/or the actual capabilities of the automated vehicle functions currently described by the terms. These exploratory findings may spur and guide future research on this under-examined topic.

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