Control Transition Interfaces in Semiautonomous Vehicles: A Categorization Framework and Literature Analysis

Abstract

Designing safe and effective systems for control transitions between human and vehicle is a difficult task, due to increased reaction times and potentially inattentive drivers. In order to respond to these difficulties, this paper presents an overview of interaction solutions for control transitions between manual and autonomous driving modes. The paper examines technology patents, as well as academic publications. The paper's first contribution is an examination of the current state of the art of control transition interfaces in automated vehicles. The paper's second contribution is the reusable categorization framework developed for this overview. The results are used to identify holes and potentials regarding control transition design, including strong focus on the system over the human, lacking fallback performance, and the potentials of effective driving mode communication. These aspects point the way towards the challenges to be solved -- together with how they might be solved -- for safe and effective control transitions.