Designing Inclusive Interaction with Autonomous Vehicles for Older Passengers

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With the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in real-world traffic, there are several human-computer interactions (HCI) challenges—especially how a passenger might interact with an AV where the human driver is absent. Riding inside an AV could be more challenging for older adults who are expected to be one of the largest user cohorts of AV. In this work, we conducted an interview session with senior participants (N=10) which allowed us to identify specific design needs for elderly passengers to have reliable communication with AVs. Based on the findings, we implemented five proof-of-concept prototypes in virtual reality (VR) and evaluated them through a user study with another group of elderly participants (N=15). Informed by the outcome, we discuss design insights for implementing inclusive interfaces inside the AVs that will be supportive of the functional abilities and cognitive needs of older adults to increase psychological driving comfort and perceived safety.