Skip to main content

When driving becomes the distraction

utomotive supplier Faurecia and Stanford University's Center for Design Research, have formed a partnership aimed at studying potential behavioural changes in an autonomous vehicle. The organisations will share initial research findings at the Connected Car Expo during the Los Angeles Auto Show. Faurecia and Stanford have identified several important challenges the industry must address to mitigate consumer apprehension to new driving modes: Creating a Confident Occupant Experience; Safely Enabling New
November 13, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Automotive supplier Faurecia and Stanford University's Center for Design Research, have formed a partnership aimed at studying potential behavioural changes in an autonomous vehicle. The organisations will share initial research findings at the Connected Car Expo during the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Faurecia and Stanford have identified several important challenges the industry must address to mitigate consumer apprehension to new driving modes: Creating a Confident Occupant Experience; Safely Enabling New User Scenarios; Mitigating Motion Sickness.  

Faurecia and Stanford believe these and other considerations will take an increasingly important role in the future development of autonomous transportation, with more attention placed on what's happening inside the vehicle.

Dr David Sirkin of the Stanford Center for Design Research and Matthew Benson of Faurecia's xWorks innovation centre will present their research, When Driving Becomes the Distraction: Putting the Occupant Back in the Mobility Conversation, at the Connected Car Expo on 17 November.

"As the automotive industry continues its march toward autonomous vehicles, most of its efforts have been focused on creating the technology that will enable auto-pilot functionality," said Rob Huber, vice president of innovation for Faurecia. "While this is an essential foundation, Faurecia is prioritising a parallel development track focused on how we enhance the mobility experience by improving life-on-board, making comfort, customisation and connectivity a priority."

"In partnering with Faurecia, we are taking the industry's first steps toward anticipating and averting problems that autonomous-car drivers may encounter in their transition from active controllers to multi-tasking occupants of vehicles," said Sirkin. "While the industry often considers the new technologies required to keep autonomous cars safely on course, these physiological issues will require their own approaches to vehicle design and engineering."

Related Content

  • March 14, 2012
    Automatic signal control to prevent emergency vehicle collisions?
    Field trials under way in Arizona promise eradication of accidents between emergency vehicles at intersections – as part of a national focus on ‘intelligent signal’ infrastructure. Collisions between police cars, ambulances and fire crews as they reach intersections at the same time, with equal priority given by all signals set on red, are as serious as they sound absurd. For emergency teams and those in need of their help, the consequences are dire. The solution could come from application of connected veh
  • July 17, 2012
    US economic stimulus package highlights ITS technology
    US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood talks to ITS International about economic stimulus funding and the absolute need to maintain and increase the use of technology in transportation. Of the total of $787 billion of funding announced under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the economic stimulus package which was signed into law by US President Barack Obama on 17 February 2009, $48.1 billion will go to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Of that, $27.5 billion is for highway in
  • June 20, 2012
    Young people want to stay connected in the car of the future
    Johnson Controls has announced the results of a survey of some 2,800 young people in Germany, Great Britain, China, and the US, to find out what ‘digital natives’ expect from the car of the future. Approximately 2800 young people were surveyed in Germany, Great Britain, China and the United States. Their key desire: to stay connected to the digital world while driving, too.
  • November 27, 2013
    Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: a solution or another problem?
    Do Advanced Driver Assistance Systems represent a positive step forward for safety, or something of a safety risk? Jason Barnes discusses the issue with leading industry figures. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are already common. Anti-lock brakes or electronic stability control are well understood and are either fitted as standard or frequently requested by new vehicle buyers. More advanced ADAS features are appearing on many top-end vehicles and the trickle-down has already started. Adaptive