Virtual reality driving simulator for user studies on automated driving

Abstract

Nowadays, HCI Research on automated driving is commonly carried out using either low-quality setups with 2D monitors or expensive driving simulators with motion platforms. Furthermore, software for user studies on automated driving is often expensive and hard to modify for different scenarios. We plan to fill this gap by proposing a low-cost, high-fidelity immersive prototyping simulator by making use of virtual reality (VR) technology: AutoWSD - Automated driving simulator for research on windshield displays. We showcase a hybrid software and hardware solution as well as demonstrate how to design and implement scenarios for user studies, and thereby encourage discussion about potential improvements and extensions for AutoWSD, as well as the topic of trust, acceptance, user experience and simulator sickness in automation.