Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SUaaVE (SUpporting acceptance of automated VEhicle)
Période du rapport: 2020-11-01 au 2022-10-31
One of the main causes of lack of acceptance in innovation is ignoring the needs and preferences of potential customers in the development phases. In the case of the connected automated vehicle (CAV), there is an important degree of user skepticism based on the awareness of the complexity and the risks of this technology. Public acceptance is a multi-faceted construct, tightly related to emotional processes and trust in a new technology, beyond the accomplishment of functional performance. However, the current approach based on the technology push threatens social viability of innovative technology like CAV, as it creates a gap between the well-thought technical reliability and public acceptance.
The SUaaVE project (SUpporting acceptance of automated VEhicle) aims to make a change in the current situation of public acceptance of CAV by leaning on a Human-Driven Design (HDD) approach, enhancing synergies social science, human factors research and automotive market by means of an iterative process of assessment, co-design and prototyping.
The application of the HDD approach in SUaaVE will be materialized through two different and complementary approaches:
- At societal level, with the formulation of frameworks to enlarge public acceptance in the deployment of CAVs for all the potentially involved society; current and new drivers as well as VRUs.
- At individual level, under the conceptualization of ALFRED, understood as the integration of the emotional experience of the passenger and ethical principles in the artificial intelligence (AI) that manages the control of highly automated CAVs.
SUaaVE emerges from a participatory process promoting collaborative and co-design methods to empower end-users as well as other stakeholders, ensuring the acceptance of this concept from a societal and individual perspective. In this line, SUaaVE has involved more than 6900 citizens from seven EU countries and the UK, as future users in a broad sense: current drivers, new drivers and passengers (children, senior citizens and people with disabilities) and other road users like Vulnerable Road Users (VRU).
The result of the project will benefit society representing a breakthrough in the public acceptance of future CAVs for both the society as a whole and, in particular, for all road users. Furthermore, in the case of industry, SUaaVE will facilitate a better integration of human factor in the deployment of CAV by tackling a Human Driven Design approach, promoting a competitive advantage of European automobile manufacturers to keep and extend their leadership in transport industry all over the world.
The SUaaVE project (SUpporting acceptance of automated VEhicle) aims to make a change in the current situation of public acceptance of CAV by leaning on a Human-Driven Design (HDD) approach, enhancing synergies social science, human factors research and automotive market by means of an iterative process of assessment, co-design and prototyping.
The application of the HDD approach in SUaaVE will be materialized through two different and complementary approaches:
- At societal level, with the formulation of frameworks to enlarge public acceptance in the deployment of CAVs for all the potentially involved society; current and new drivers as well as VRUs.
- At individual level, under the conceptualization of ALFRED, understood as the integration of the emotional experience of the passenger and ethical principles in the artificial intelligence (AI) that manages the control of highly automated CAVs.
SUaaVE emerges from a participatory process promoting collaborative and co-design methods to empower end-users as well as other stakeholders, ensuring the acceptance of this concept from a societal and individual perspective. In this line, SUaaVE has involved more than 6900 citizens from seven EU countries and the UK, as future users in a broad sense: current drivers, new drivers and passengers (children, senior citizens and people with disabilities) and other road users like Vulnerable Road Users (VRU).
The result of the project will benefit society representing a breakthrough in the public acceptance of future CAVs for both the society as a whole and, in particular, for all road users. Furthermore, in the case of industry, SUaaVE will facilitate a better integration of human factor in the deployment of CAV by tackling a Human Driven Design approach, promoting a competitive advantage of European automobile manufacturers to keep and extend their leadership in transport industry all over the world.
Below is shown the main work performed in each WP of SUaaVE:
WP1. Acceptance research
It has consisted in a literature review on the psychological factors affecting acceptability and acceptance of CAV. With the aim of investigating any other potential factors, focus groups were conducted in different EU countries. A psychological model that predicts the acceptability of CAV was obtained with data collected thanks to a large-scale survey (3.900 participants) conducted in six European countries. After this activities, it was studied acceptability and acceptance via several online questionnaires, a Wizard of Oz on-road experiment, and driving simulator experiments.
WP2. Ethical issues
The work in WP2 could be treated in three parts: acceptability of ethics policies, algorithm for ethical deliberation and legal issues.
The work of this work package was closed with Recommendations for policy makers and industry on ethical issues based on the results of all the studies carried out in the WP. The information is included in D2.4.
Work package 3: Development of the empathic module
This module is the result of the integration of the Dimensional Emotional Model to estimate the emotional state of the passengers, the Cognitive model to characterise “drivers” from the perspective of Situational Awareness (SA), and the Observation Model to estimate the emotional state using available measures describing the vehicle’s road behaviour and the context information.
Work package 4: Development of ACE Interface
The goal of this work package was the development of the ACE Interface. It manages the in-vehicle experience, aiming to enhance passenger’s satisfaction. This is composed by the following modules: Smart Cognitive Assistant, Ride Comfort Algorithms and Ambient Comfort Profiles.
Work package 5: V-HCD platform to support immersive experiences of future ALFRED
The main activity in WP5 was dedicated to the design and the development of V-HCD platform to support immersive experiments with ALFRED.
Work package 6: ALFRED assessment and demonstration
Work done consisted in:
• Definition of the Use Cases for the future evaluation of the ALFRED concept.
• First and second loop of evaluations of ALFRED.
• Exploration of the preferences of potential future new CAV users.
Work package 7: Exploitation and dissemination
Consortium organized and participated in several congresses, conferences, fairs, workshops; published technical and scientific papers; made demonstrations activities (specially the final event); and disseminate the project and its results in mass media, social networks, so on. All results were shown during the Final Event hold in Valencia.
Furthermore, in this WP it was structured the business plans from partners of the project for their respective IP and technology, so that ownership and exploitation activities subsequent to the project are made clear to partners.
WP1. Acceptance research
It has consisted in a literature review on the psychological factors affecting acceptability and acceptance of CAV. With the aim of investigating any other potential factors, focus groups were conducted in different EU countries. A psychological model that predicts the acceptability of CAV was obtained with data collected thanks to a large-scale survey (3.900 participants) conducted in six European countries. After this activities, it was studied acceptability and acceptance via several online questionnaires, a Wizard of Oz on-road experiment, and driving simulator experiments.
WP2. Ethical issues
The work in WP2 could be treated in three parts: acceptability of ethics policies, algorithm for ethical deliberation and legal issues.
The work of this work package was closed with Recommendations for policy makers and industry on ethical issues based on the results of all the studies carried out in the WP. The information is included in D2.4.
Work package 3: Development of the empathic module
This module is the result of the integration of the Dimensional Emotional Model to estimate the emotional state of the passengers, the Cognitive model to characterise “drivers” from the perspective of Situational Awareness (SA), and the Observation Model to estimate the emotional state using available measures describing the vehicle’s road behaviour and the context information.
Work package 4: Development of ACE Interface
The goal of this work package was the development of the ACE Interface. It manages the in-vehicle experience, aiming to enhance passenger’s satisfaction. This is composed by the following modules: Smart Cognitive Assistant, Ride Comfort Algorithms and Ambient Comfort Profiles.
Work package 5: V-HCD platform to support immersive experiences of future ALFRED
The main activity in WP5 was dedicated to the design and the development of V-HCD platform to support immersive experiments with ALFRED.
Work package 6: ALFRED assessment and demonstration
Work done consisted in:
• Definition of the Use Cases for the future evaluation of the ALFRED concept.
• First and second loop of evaluations of ALFRED.
• Exploration of the preferences of potential future new CAV users.
Work package 7: Exploitation and dissemination
Consortium organized and participated in several congresses, conferences, fairs, workshops; published technical and scientific papers; made demonstrations activities (specially the final event); and disseminate the project and its results in mass media, social networks, so on. All results were shown during the Final Event hold in Valencia.
Furthermore, in this WP it was structured the business plans from partners of the project for their respective IP and technology, so that ownership and exploitation activities subsequent to the project are made clear to partners.
The SUaaVE main outcomes that will enhance the acceptance of CAV are organised in main three pillars:
1. Guidelines and recommendations to support Public Authorities and Industry.
2. A virtual driving simulator, the V-HCD platform, specially designed for the assessment of public acceptance, through the involvement of future users.
3. The new paradigm of automation: ALFRED - Automation Level Four+ Reliable Empathic Driver.
The expected impacts of SUaaVE is described below.
# Impact 1: Contribute to a better user acceptance of innovative, cooperative, connected & automated transport
In SUaaVE we proposed and tested a psychological model that can predict the acceptability of CAVs and ALFRED. The model’s predictive power was confirmed in two studies, explaining around 60% and 80% in variance of acceptability.
# Impact 2: Contribute to the possible reduction of cost for industry and public authorities
The V-HCD platform puts the human at the real center of CAV design and development by allowing to implement immersive demonstrations and virtual tests with futures end users at all the stages of the design process.
# Impact 3: Enhance driver awareness and behavior in a range of complex / urban operating environments
The cognitive model developed in SUaaVE is able to characterize “drivers” from the perspective of Situational Awareness (SA). Furthermore, The Smart Cognitive Assistant designed in SUaaVE improves awareness of what the vehicle is doing, and of the road situation.
# Impact 4: Contribute to improved levels of safety and security, in line with the Transport White Paper 2011
In the acceptance research of CAVs conducted in SUaaVE we found that the evaluation of CAVs’ safety has a relatively large impact on CAVs’ acceptance. Additionally, we found that exposure to a CAV in a driving simulator enhanced the perceived safety of CAVs and increased the trust in CAV technology.
1. Guidelines and recommendations to support Public Authorities and Industry.
2. A virtual driving simulator, the V-HCD platform, specially designed for the assessment of public acceptance, through the involvement of future users.
3. The new paradigm of automation: ALFRED - Automation Level Four+ Reliable Empathic Driver.
The expected impacts of SUaaVE is described below.
# Impact 1: Contribute to a better user acceptance of innovative, cooperative, connected & automated transport
In SUaaVE we proposed and tested a psychological model that can predict the acceptability of CAVs and ALFRED. The model’s predictive power was confirmed in two studies, explaining around 60% and 80% in variance of acceptability.
# Impact 2: Contribute to the possible reduction of cost for industry and public authorities
The V-HCD platform puts the human at the real center of CAV design and development by allowing to implement immersive demonstrations and virtual tests with futures end users at all the stages of the design process.
# Impact 3: Enhance driver awareness and behavior in a range of complex / urban operating environments
The cognitive model developed in SUaaVE is able to characterize “drivers” from the perspective of Situational Awareness (SA). Furthermore, The Smart Cognitive Assistant designed in SUaaVE improves awareness of what the vehicle is doing, and of the road situation.
# Impact 4: Contribute to improved levels of safety and security, in line with the Transport White Paper 2011
In the acceptance research of CAVs conducted in SUaaVE we found that the evaluation of CAVs’ safety has a relatively large impact on CAVs’ acceptance. Additionally, we found that exposure to a CAV in a driving simulator enhanced the perceived safety of CAVs and increased the trust in CAV technology.