Designing User Interfaces for Automated Driving: A Simulator Study on Individual Information Preferences

Automated Driving (AD) can free users from driving and create time for their disposal. However, since manufacturers increasingly target a wide customer range with AD, such systems and their User Interfaces (UI) must accommodate different user characteristics and preferences. This article aims to analyze the effects of individual characteristics on the information preferences in UIs for surrounding road infrastructure (for instance, lane markings or traffic signs) and system limits describing hindering factors for AD (for instance, construction sites or unsuitable weather conditions). To do so, we performed a driving simulator study with 43 participants. Results show that users with a more positive attitude towards technology prefer more infrastructure information. Furthermore, users familiar with Automatic Cruise Control prefer less system limit information, while higher experience with Steering Assists relates to higher preference in this regard. These findings add concrete mechanisms to the theory of personalized AD UIs and inform product development on how to create more personalized user experiences. By this, we aim to address challenges regarding the acceptance, adoption, and usage of AD.