User-Friendly Design of Human–machine Interaction of Driver Assistance Systems

Both in the area of driver information systemsDriver information systems and driver assistance systemsDriver assistance systems, the number and complexity of functions continuously increase ( Akamatsu, M., Green, P., Bengler, K.: Automotive technology and human factors research: past, present, and future. Int. J. Veh. Technol. 2013(526180) (2013)). This is particularly true for systems that are designed to support the user in challenging driving situations, such as when changing lanes, i.e., primarily aiming to increase safety. In the case of functions to which the driver can increasingly delegate the driving task, a key challenge is to make the capabilities and system limits clear to the person so that he or she has a correct idea of the distribution of roles. In addition, a vehicle usually offers a large number of situational support systems and several additional comfort functions to which the driver can delegate a greater or lesser part of the driving task, depending on the functional area (Operational Design Domain ODD). This is why mode awareness, which refers to the awareness of the distribution of roles and tasks between the driver and the vehicle, also plays a role beyond directing attention.