Bridging Gaps for the Adoption of Automated Vehicles—BRAVE Aspects for TrustVehicles—Development of Innovative HMIs to Increase Acceptance

Automated cars bring not only technical but also non-technical challenges that influence acceptance such as legal and ethical questions, social and economic implications, or road safety effects. In general, if technical innovations are in line with societal values and behavioural intentions, they can gain acceptance. Based on a literature review, issues that influence the acceptance of automated cars are identified. However, not only the macro aspects are important for acceptance, but also the design of the technology for potential users, especially the HMI design. As the division of tasks between humans and machines changes, the implementation of automated driving systems changes the task of the driver fundamentally, posing new challenges for HMI design. Uses cases involving vulnerable road users (VRUs) are the focus of the BRAVE project (EU-funded) when developing and testing HMIs. Research on the interaction between automated vehicles and VRUs is needed, not only to increase acceptance among road users but also to increase safety for VRUs. The development of interfaces and products must be carried out in an iterative process, to allow users to be involved at an early stage. Adjusting concepts in the beginning of the process is more cost-efficient compared to making changes later in the process and ensures a better adaptation of the developed technical solutions to the expectations of end-users, thus favouring the acceptance of automated vehicles.