User-centred design for type approval of AD(A)S : Roadmap towards a process audit

Increasing numbers of vehicles (i.e., cars and trucks) are equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and ADS (Automated Driving Systems). Several risks relating to the use of AD(A)S have been described in the literature, including confusion about driving task responsibility, overreliance on the system, drivers being caught off guard by sudden transitions between vehicle automation levels, and inappropriate levels of attention to the driving context. Well-designed interaction and communication between the driver and the system may reduce these human factors risks. However, clear specifications for a system that fulfils such requirements do not exist.

This provides a challenge for type approval processes. In the absence of unambiguous system requirements for the interaction between an AD(A)S and its users, evaluating how a system was developed, could provide an alternative way of auditing safe system interaction.

The aim of this assignment was to draw up an advice on whether and how an audit on the application of User-Centred Design processes (UCD) in AD(A)S development regarding the user system interaction could contribute to the approval of safe AD(A)S.