From SAE-levels to cooperative task distribution: An efficient and usable way to deal with system limitations?

Abstract

Automated driving seems to be a promising approach to increase traffic safety, efficiency, and driver comfort. The defined automation capability levels (SAE) recommend a distinct takeover of the vehicle's control from the human driver. This implies that if the system reaches a system boundary, the control falls back to the human. However, another possibility might be the cooperative approach of task distribution: The driver provides the missing information to the automation, which will stay activated. In a driving simulator study, we compared both a classical and a cooperative approach (N = 18). An automated car was driving on a rural road when a slower leading vehicle made it impossible for the automation to overtake. The participants could either initiate the overtake by providing the missing information cooperatively or fully taking over the vehicle's control. Results showed that the cooperative approach has a higher usage and reduces workload. Therefore, the suggested cooperative approach seems to be more promising.