Project 3

Explanation and Trust in Automated Vehicles

The adoption of automated vehicles (AVs) hinges on whether individuals trust these advanced technologies. One of the central concerns is the lack of trust in AVs. In this project, we explored the potential of using explanations of vehicle actions to help drivers build trust in automated vehicles. To investigate this, we conducted human-subject experiments in a driving simulator, focusing on three key research questions:

  • How do the timing and the degree of AV autonomy influence the effectiveness of AV explanations?
  • Does the driver’s age influence the relationship between AV explanations and the driver’s effort, anxiety, and trust?
  • How does the modality of explanations influence their effectiveness?
Driving simulator.

Our findings revealed that explanations provided before an AV acted were associated with higher levels of trust and preference for the AV. Additionally, the modality of explanations (e.g., visual, auditory) and the driver’s age significantly moderated the relationship between explanation effectiveness and perceptions of the AV. These results highlight important considerations for fostering trust and encouraging the adoption of AVs. To further underscore the importance of explanations in the context of AVs, I synthesized a comprehensive literature survey paper. This paper offers a holistic perspective on explanations and aims to contribute to the advancement of the field by providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

Publication

  • Zhang, Q., Esterwood, C., Pradhan, A. K., Tilbury, D., Yang, X. J., & Robert, L. P. (2023). The Impact of Modality, Technology Suspicion, and NDRT Engagement on the Effectiveness of AV Explanations. IEEE Access.
  • Zhang, Q., Yang, X. J., & Robert, L. P. (2021). What and when to explain? A survey of the impact of explanation on attitudes toward adopting automated vehicles. IEEE Access, 9, 159533-159540.
  • Zhang, Q., Yang, X. J., & Robert Jr, L. P. (2021). Drivers’ age and automated vehicle explanations. Sustainability, 13(4), 1948.
  • Du, N., Haspiel, J., Zhang, Q., Tilbury, D., Pradhan, A. K., Yang, X. J., & Robert Jr, L. P. (2019). Look who’s talking now: Implications of AV’s explanations on driver’s trust, AV preference, anxiety and mental workload. Transportation research part C: emerging technologies, 104, 428-442.