In UX We Trust: Investigation of Aesthetics and Usability of Driver-Vehicle Interfaces and Their Impact on the Perception of Automated Driving

In the evolution of technical systems, freedom from error and early adoption plays a major role for market success and to maintain competitiveness. In the case of automated driving, we see that faulty systems are put into operation and users trust these systems, often without any restrictions. Trust and use are often associated with users' experience of the driver-vehicle interfaces and interior design. In this work, we present the results of our investigations on factors that influence the perception of automated driving. In a simulator study, N=48 participants had to drive a SAE level 2 vehicle with either perfect or faulty driving function. As a secondary activity, participants had to solve tasks on an infotainment system with varying aesthetics and usability (2x2). Results reveal that the interaction of conditions significantly influences trust and UX of the vehicle system. Our conclusion is that all aspects of vehicle design cumulate to system and trust perception.