Evaluation and optimization of a vibrotactile signal in an autonomous driving context
Résumé
An important issue in autonomous vehicle development is the transition phase between autonomous and manual driving. Here, we focused on a vibrotactile signal that warns the driver 1 min before they must take over. Our goal was to design a signal detectable by, and satisfactory for, all drivers. After listing parameters defining a vibrotactile signal, we performed a design-of-experiments study to select 16 signals for evaluation by 80 participants of different ages, body mass indexes, and genders. In a car on the road, autonomous driving conditions were simulated with the participant in the front passenger seat, who performed a task unrelated to driving. Whenever the participant detected a signal, they gave a satisfaction score. Modeling enabled us to evaluate the effects of the signal parameters and participant characteristics on satisfaction and detection. Moreover, we obtained specifications for the design of a tactile signal according to our two criteria.