Examining the impact of AR Weather Customization on Trust in Autonomous Vehicles

Trust is a crucial factor in the widespread adoption and acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), with previous studies having shown that Augmented Reality (AR) can play a significant role in enhancing trust in AVs. In this work, we explore how weather customization through AR impacts user trust in AVs. Using a VR simulator of a self-driving car in urban environments, 30 participants experienced the rides in the autonomous vehicle under various weather conditions, with opportunities for customizing the weather. The experiment featured three conditions: a baseline condition, a forced weather condition, and a customizable weather condition. We examined the influence of this customization on trust, technology acceptance, usability, and the participant’s emotions. The results showed that while allowing users to personalize their weather did not have a significant impact on their trust, it did have a positive impact on user’s acceptance of the technology and system usability, while reducing negative emotions.