Publication

Popular Science Summary A-0031

How drivers respond if steering automation fails?

We studied how drivers respond when steering automation fails. Especially, we were interested in where drivers look when they need to detect a steering automation failure and prepare for to take over the control. A test track experiment in AstaZero is perfect for this purpose. The environment is realistic enough, but still completely safe. It enables us to simulate 'steering automation failures' to record drivers' responses.

Automated driving systems are becoming more and more commonplace soon. However, the systems are not yet perfect. We were interested in how human drivers could recover from system failures, if possible, and what can be done to keep them in control of the vehicle in all situations. Safety of automated driving is a great concern for both the industry and public. Automation can save many lives, but it can also create new kind of traffic accidents if introduced without throughout planning. One of the biggest problems with automation is that it can be difficult for the human driver to detect if a system has failed and take back control.

Research on this area is important, because it steers the system development and helps to create preventive measures in the long run. For example, thinking about the current research, advanced drive monitoring systems utilizing eye-tracking technology could possible detect if the driver is still in the loop and able to take back control if anything would happen with the system.

There is still a lot of work to do with the automated driving, especially regarding the human factor’s aspect. This work will help us to fit human drivers and automation together to create safer future for everybody.

Research area
Systems for accident prevention and AD