Design of diagnosis service system for self-driving vehicles - Learnings from the driver’s role today

The drivers play an essential role in detecting and handling vehicle faults, and they are an important actor in the diagnosis service system. When developing self-driving vehicles, exploring the driver’s role could create knowledge regarding the reconsiderations needed when designing a diagnosis service system with no driver present. The aim of this paper is to increase the understanding of the driver’s role in fault detection and troubleshooting and how a control tower can support self-driving vehicles. A service design research study has been performed. Based on semi-structured interviews and a workshop, a system map, information flowchart, and decision-making process have been developed. Furthermore, a scenario is used to exemplify how a control tower can support a diagnosis service system for self-driving vehicles. Finally, examples are given to show how a control tower operator can replace actions and decisions that are currently handled onboard the vehicle by the driver.