Investigating the Effects of Human–Machine Interface on Cooperative Driving Using a Multi-Driver Co-Simulation Platform

Cooperative driving in a Connected Vehicle (CV) environment has received increasing attention over the years due to its ability to enhance driving safety and efficiency. For a cooperative driving task that requires speed adaptation, the recommended speed is displayed through human-machine interface (HMI). The design of HMI is expected to affect drivers’ compliance and understanding of recommended speed and thus impact the driving performance. However, the effects of HMI design on cooperative driving performance are yet to be explored. In this study, three HMIs were designed:
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HMI (baseline, displays the speed difference between optimal and current driving speed),
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HMI (displays the time difference between optimal and estimated arrival time), and
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-graphic HMI (displays the speed difference using a variable graphic form). The HMI designs follow the skills, rules, and knowledge (SRK) taxonomy. To test the effects of the HMI design on cooperative driving performance, we developed a multi-driver driving co-simulation platform, which can simulate a cooperative driving environment and thus verify the HMI design. Driving simulator experiment shows that the
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HMI deteriorated the speed adaptation accuracy, while the
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-graphic HMI improved the driving performance. The questionnaire data revealed that the participants preferred the
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-graphic HMI, as it was highly rated in terms of system usability and user experience. The findings of this study provide insights for the HMI design for cooperative driving applications.