Spatial visualization of sensor information for automated vehicles

Displaying the sensor limitation of automated vehicles is crucial to traffic safety and trust in automation. However, the current representation of system uncertainty is quite general with symbols or scales consisting of uncertainty levels, which is problematic in critical situations where drivers need to know the specific problem of the sensors. An interface that visualizes the radar sensor information spatially considering the surroundings is proposed, which aims to provide a better mental representation of the situation and support drivers' decisions. It is evaluated against two reference interfaces with either no or general representation of the sensor information. After seeing different interfaces in various scenarios of overtaking obstacles, participants selected one of the following options: "stop", "circuit" or "take over the control". The results show that although the interface showing no sensor information has the shortest reaction time, the proposed interface has changed drivers' decisions from "circuit" to "take over the control" the most.