How do older passengers of automated vehicles experience comfort on road? An interview study

Understanding older users’ comfort needs can inform the inclusive design of automated vehicles (AVs). Real-world experience with automated driving is crucial to elicit meaningful insights for older adults, who are expected to benefit from AVs in terms of enhanced mobility and autonomy. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 participants (aged over 60) who experienced a so-called automated ride, operated by a Wizard-of-Oz driver, in Delft, Netherlands. Following the ride, participants were interviewed about their comfort during the ride. Using thematic analysis, we identified three overarching factors associated with user comfort: (1) vehicle factors (including driving styles, AV capabilities, effect of AV exposure , and physical aspects ), (2) environment factors (including effect of external driving environment ), and (3) human factors (including affective experience, attitudes to AV/technology, engagement in non-driving related tasks [NDRTs] , and communication with the AV ). Our findings contribute to understanding comfort in automated driving, by offering a comprehensive list of factors associated with comfort, identifying affective reflections of psychological comfort, and discovering the co-existence of psychological comfort and physical discomfort. The study provides implications for designing comfortable AVs, such as the need for smooth, cautious, and anticipatory driving styles, and flexible and early reactions to unexpected events.