Building trust between driverless car and driver

an obstacle in the road during a driving simulator
An upcoming obstacle sits in the road during a driving simulation that explores how drivers trust autonomous driving systems. Courtesy Lionel Robert.

If a driver does not trust an autonomous driving system, letting the computer take control can be as daunting as letting a teenager take the wheel. While not trusting a new driver might cause passengers to slam a phantom brake pedal or white-knuckle an arm rest, a driver who does not trust driverless systems might miss out on important safety benefits or even, as autonomous system advance, the ability to complete other tasks.

To improve trust in autonomous systems, researchers at the University of Michigan conducted virtual driving trials that found that the more information an automated driving system communicated about upcoming situations, the higher the level of trust a driver had in the system, and the better the driver performed on a task other than driving.

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