Autonomous vehicles (AVs) hold immense promises in revolutionizing transportation, and their potential benefits extend to individuals with impairments, particularly those with vision and hearing impairments. However, the accommodation of these individuals in AVs requires developing advanced user interfaces. This paper describes an explorative study of a multimodal user interface for autonomous vehicles, specifically developed for passengers with sensory (vision and/or hearing) impairments. In a driving simulator, 32 volunteers with simulated sensory impairments, were exposed to multiple drives in an autonomous vehicle while freely interacting with standard and inclusive variants of the infotainment and navigation system interface. The two user interfaces differed in graphical layout and voice messages, which adopted inclusive design principles for the inclusive variant. Questionnaires and structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ impressions. The data analysis reports positive user experiences, but also identifies technical challenges. Verified guidelines are provided for further development of inclusive user interface solutions.
KeywordsAutonomous VehiclesUser InterfaceInclusive DesignWizard of Oz Simulation
Bayless, S.H. and Davidson, S. (2019) Driverless Cars and Accessibility: Designing the Future of Transportation for People with Disabilities. The Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
Mok, B.K., Sirkin, D., Sibi, S., Miller, D.B. and Ju, W. (2015) Understanding Driver-Automated Vehicle Interactions through Wizard of Oz Design Improvisation. Proceedings of the 8 th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment , Training , and Vehicle Design : Driving Assessment 2015, Salt Lake City, 22-25 June 2015, 386-392. https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1598
Merat, N. and Jamson, A.H. (2009) How Do Drivers Behave in a Highly Automated Car? Proceedings of the 5 th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment , Training , and Vehicle Design : Driving Assessment 2009, Vol. 5, 514-521. https://doi.org/10.17077/drivingassessment.1365
Detjen, H., Pfleging, B. and Schneegass, S. (2020) A Wizard of Oz Field Study to Understand Non-Driving-Related Activities, Trust, and Acceptance of Automated Vehicles. 12 th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications , 21-22 September 2020, 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1145/3409120.3410662
Ulahannan, A., Cain, R., Thompson, S., Skrypchuk, L., Mouzakitis, A., Jennings, P., et al . (2020) User Expectations of Partial Driving Automation Capabilities and Their Effect on Information Design Preferences in the Vehicle. Applied Ergonomics , 82, Article ID: 102969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102969
Sun, X., Cao, S. and Tang, P. (2021) Shaping Driver-Vehicle Interaction in Autonomous Vehicles: How the New In-Vehicle Systems Match the Human Needs. Applied Ergonomics , 90, Article ID: 103238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103238
Bennett, R., Vijaygopal, R. and Kottasz, R. (2020) Willingness of People Who Are Blind to Accept Autonomous Vehicles: An Empirical Investigation. Transportation Research Part F : Traffic Psychology and Behaviour , 69, 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2019.12.012
Bennett, R., Vijaygopal, R. and Kottasz, R. (2019) Attitudes towards Autonomous Vehicles among People with Physical Disabilities. Transportation Research Part A : Policy and Practice , 127, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2019.07.002
Kassens-Noor, E., Cai, M., Kotval-Karamchandani, Z. and Decaminada, T. (2021) Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility for People with Special Needs. Transportation Research Part A : Policy and Practice , 150, 385-397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.06.014
Cordts, P., Cotten, S.R., Qu, T. and Bush, T.R. (2021) Mobility Challenges and Perceptions of Autonomous Vehicles for Individuals with Physical Disabilities. Disability and Health Journal , 14, Article ID: 101131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101131
Allu, S., Jaiswal, A., Lin, M., Malik, A., Ozay, L., Prashanth, T. and Duerstock, B.S. (2017) Access to Personal Transportation for People with Disabilities with Autonomous Vehicles. Undergraduate Coursework, Paper 1, Purdue University.
Claypool, H., Bin-Nun, A. and Gerlach, J. (2017) Self-Driving Cars: The Impact on People with Disabilities. Ruderman Family Foundation.
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (2018, May 13) Fully Accessible Autonomous Vehicles Checklist. [Working Draft] DREDF. https://dredf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DREDF-Fully-Accessible-Vehicle-Checklist-110718.pdf
Kempapidis, T., Castle, C.L., Fairchild, R.G., Hussain, S.F., Cash, A.T.G. and Gomes, R.S.M. (2020) A Scientific Evaluation of Autonomous Vehicle User Experience on Sighted and Visually Impaired Passengers Based on FACS (Facial Analysis Coding System) and a User Experience Questionnaire. Journal of Transport & Health , 19, Article ID: 100906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2020.100906
Ranjbar, P., Krishnakumari, P.K., Andersson, J. and Klingegård, M. (2022) Vibrotactile Guidance for Trips with Autonomous Vehicles for Persons with Blindness, Deafblindness, and Deafness. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives , 15, Article ID: 100630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100630
Brinkley, J., Posadas, B., Sherman, I., Daily, S.B. and Gilbert, J.E. (2019) An Open Road Evaluation of a Self-Driving Vehicle Human-Machine Interface Designed for Visually Impaired Users. International Journal of Human - Computer Interaction , 35, 1018-1032. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2018.1561787
Ferati, M., Murano, P. and Anthony Giannoumis, G. (2017) Universal Design of User Interfaces in Self-Driving Cars. In: Di Bucchianico, G. and Kercher, P.F., Eds., International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics , Springer International Publishing, 220-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60597-5_20
Angeleska, E., Sidorenko, M., Sidorenko, S. and Pretto, P. (2022) Inclusive Autonomous Vehicle Interior Design (IAVID) Platform. In: Di Bucchianico, P., Ed., Design for Inclusion , AHFE International, 54 p. https://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1001869
Angeleska, E., Aleksovska, A., Avramov, N., Sidorenko, S., Rizov, T. and Jankovic, A. (2022) Design and Evaluation of an Inclusive Autonomous Vehicle User Interface Developed for Persons with Visual Acuity Loss. Proceedings of the Design Society , 2, 2035-2044. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.206
Kirkpatrick, A., O’Connor, J., Campbell, A. and Cooper, M. (2018) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. W3C Recommendation. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
Goodman-Deane, J., Waller, S., Collins, A. and Clarkson, P. (2013) Simulating Vision Loss: What Levels of Impairment Are Actually Represented? Proceedings of the International Conference on Ergonomics & Human Factors 2013, Cambridge, 15-18 April 2013, 347-354. https://doi.org/10.1201/b13826-75
Fischer, N., Weber, B. and Riechelmann, H. (2016) Presbycusis-Age Related Hearing Loss. Laryngo - Rhino - Otologie , 95, 497-510. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-106918
Hesse, G., Eichhorn, S. and Laubert, A. (2014) Hörfähigkeit und Schwerhörigkeit alter Menschen. HNO , 62, 630-639. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-014-2903-8
Jian, J.Y., Bisantz, A.M., Drury, C.G. and Llinas, J. (1998) Foundations for an Empirically Determined Scale of Trust in Automated Systems (No. CMIF198). Center for Multisource Information Fusion.
Brooke, J. (1996) SUS: A “Quick” and “Dirty” Scale. In: Jordan, P.W., Thomas, B., Weerdmeester, B.A. and McClelland, I.L., Eds., Usability Evaluation in Industry , Taylor & Francis, 189-194.