Automated Driving System, Male, or Female Driver: Who'd You Prefer? Comparative Analysis of Passengers' Mental Conditions, Emotional States & Qualitative Feedback

It is expected that automated vehicles (AVs) will only be used when customers believe them to be safe, trustworthy, and match their personal driving style. As AVs are not very common today, most previous studies on trust, user experience, or acceptance measures in automated driving are based on qualitative measures. The approach followed in this work is different, as we compared the direct effect of human drivers versus automated driving systems (ADSs) on the front seat passenger. In a driving simulator study (N=48), subjects had either to ride with an ADS, a male, or a female driver. Driving scenarios were the same for all subjects. Findings from quantitative measurements (HRV, face tracking) and qualitative pre-/post study surveys and interviews suggest that there are no significant differences between the passenger groups. Our conclusion is, that passengers are already inclined to accept ADS and that the market is ready for AVs.