Prototyping Autonomous Vehicle Windshields with AR and Real-Time Object Detection Visualization: An On-Road Wizard-of-Oz Study

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Autonomous vehicles (AVs; SAE levels 4 and 5) face substantial challenges regarding acceptance and UX. Novel human-machine interfaces (HMIs) providing transparent system information could account for those and facilitate adoption. However, since the availability of AVs for early concept studies is limited, context-based interface prototyping is required. This paper demonstrates the prototype and wizard-of-oz-based on-road evaluation of a futuristic windshield HMI concept that visualizes real-time object detections via augmented reality (AR). In a mixed-methods within-subjects study (N=30), participants assessed three early-stage concept variants to explore whether object detection visualization can counteract the aforementioned challenges. The findings confirm that transparent system feedback can increase understandability, perceived usefulness, and hedonic UX, but the amount and the timing of the provided information are crucial. The applied prototyping method proved suitable for investigating HMI concepts with real-time AR on urban roads. Based on a critical discussion, the paper concludes with design and prototyping recommendations.