Incorporating Multiple Users' Perspectives in HMI Design for Automated Vehicles: Exploration of a Role-Switching Approach

Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are important for the introduction of automated vehicles (AVs). Even though interactions can involve multiple users and modes of transportation, current research and ideation for HMIs are often directed at only one road user group. This reductionist approach goes against the principles of design, which argue for a holistic understanding. To address this gap, we conducted a novel role-switching approach where participants explored a traffic scenario from four roles: pedestrian, cyclist, driver of a manually-driven vehicle and passenger of an AV. After experiencing all roles, participants evaluated each role and generated HMI designs. Results demonstrate that the roles were perceived differently and that switching between these different perspectives contributed to participants’ understanding of the traffic scenario and the generated designs. This paper reports insights on the value of a role-switching approach to promote the future development of a more holistic approach towards HMIs.