Navigating in The Dark

Published at ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) in September of 2023. Navigating in The Dark Publication

Designing Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Solutions for Trust

AVs pose a potential transportation solution for older adults who are no longer able to drive. The most sophisticated automated driving capabilities in the US market are currently only at SAE level 2, requiring drivers to remain attentive [3]. Older adult users must feel considered in the design of these features to encourage use of them to supplement their driving.

Testing was conducted with n=4 individuals over the age of 60 using Wizard of Oz methods. Participants were blindfolded or asked to close their eyes to simulate blindness and given a list of recordings to simulate the test drive. Participants were asked to navigate to a provided local grocery store location, selecting the option to avoid highways. Based on user voice input, the researcher played the appropriate pre-recorded response to simulate a natural interaction with an AV system.

Additions Added to FInal Prototype:

1. Addition of sensors to provide information about external objects
2.  A lower level of Limited navigation
3. Detail the user can select, and one-time user preference selection (not illustrated).