Abstract

Automation is changing the world. As in aviation, car manufacturers are currently developing autonomous vehicles. However, the autonomy of vehicles isn’t complete, still needing in certain moments the driver on the ride. The way how this transition is done between manual and autonomous driving and how this information is presented to the driver is a challenge for Ergonomics. New displays are being studied to facilitate these transitions. This study used a driving simulator to investigate whether augmented reality information can positively influence the user-experience (UX) during manual and autonomous driving. Therefore, we compared two ways of presenting the communication to the driver. The “AR (augmented reality) concept” displays all the information on the windshield to be easier for the driver to access the information. In the “IC concept,” they use the Instrument Cluster and the e-HUD to display information. Results indicate that the user-experience (UX) is influenced by concepts, whereas the “AR concept” had better UX in all the states. In terms of confidence, the results revealed higher scores for the “AR concept” too. The type of concept does not influence the takeover time or the behavior of taking control. In terms of situational awareness, the “AR concept” leaves the drivers more aware during availability and activation. This study provides implications for automotive companies developing the next generation of car displays.