Fluid automated driving experience

Description

As driving automation is changing the relationship between drivers and surroundings, current interface design struggles to provide timely and relevant information tailored for future driver’s needs. A new holistic approach is needed to connect drivers, vehicles, and infrastructures and account for non-driving activities in the vehicle.

Fluid is the expression of such an approach that aims at improving drivers’ safety, comfort and acceptance of automation technology. Like a fluid, it surrounds the driver and continuously adapts to his psycho-physical state. It as a multi-sensory, omni-present and omni-directional system that constantly senses the driver and surroundings. It features a “Driver digital twin”, i.e. a model-based representation of driver’s state over time, in relation with the vehicle and environment conditions. The updates in the model enable the generation and selection of proper sensory modalities, timing and locations to initiate a natural interaction with the driver.

This system can also enhance the information available to passengers to, e.g., alleviate motion sickness symptoms. Overall, Fluid is meant to increase situational awareness; minimize obtrusiveness of traditional visual and auditory interfaces; and preserve driver’s cognitive spare capacity for a prompt and smooth transition of control and comfortable and safe experience.

The Fluid concept enables three unique functions:

• sustained monitoring of drivers, vehicles and environment,
• including V2V and V2X communications; control management,
• including transitions of control (take over and hand back) across different levels of automation;
• tutoring of native manual drivers towards increasing automation levels