Automation As Driver Companion: Findings Of Automate Project

Driving automation is radically changing the role of the driver. The proliferation of driving assistance systems is increasingly transforming driver's tasks from vehicle control operations to supervising activities. However, the process of turning the driver into a passenger is far from being accomplished. This paper describes an innovative interaction approach developed in the framework of EU funded project AutoMate. The overarching aim of AutoMate is to build a "TeamMate System", in which the human and the automation cooperate with each other to achieve a safe, pleasant and efficient driving. Through an effective interaction, and by sharing perception, decision and action, they can negotiate specific behaviors and maneuvers in order to build a team based on trust. In order to measure the effectiveness of this concept, a driving simulator experiment has been conducted: findings suggest that the concept of Human-Machine Team can increase the trust in automation and improve the efficiency in specific conditions.