Automation of vehicles not only provides greater safety, but also many previously unimagined opportunities, such as less inequality, less stress, and more meaningful activities while driving. However, the uptake and implementation of automated driving have been falling short of its promise, due to challenges in identifying safe and acceptable ways for humans to interact with automated vehicles. The human-machine interface (HMI) in vehicles plays a more critical role today than ever before. The main research question addrssed in this study, as part of the EU-funded HADRIAN project, is: What steps need to be taken to achieve effective fluid HMI (f-HMI) design for improved driver-vehicle dialogue, especially in critical scenarios?.

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Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) aim to support the interaction between automated vehicles and drivers to improve safety and driver experience. With the development of automated vehicles, drivers interact with vehicles in new scenarios. In addition to visual modality, sound is the other modality often used in vehicles. Previously, sounds were mainly used for alarms, but they can be used in other ways in automated vehicles. Therefore, a new approach to sound design is needed. We proposed an interactive approach for sound design to improve driver safety and user experience in automated vehicles. In this study, we suggested that the driver's interaction with automated vehicles should be analyzed based on the user and contextual understanding, and the sound should be designed to consider the appropriateness of situation matching and alert levels. This study showed that the approach supports designing sounds that enhance vehicle and driver interaction.@en