Re-inventing the journey experience: life on board the autonomous vehicle of the future

Autonomous vehicles provide scope to re-invent and improve the journey experience, but there are significant engineering challenges. The human-centred questions of driving automation have not been sufficiently investigated and there is a demand for human-centred knowledge focussing on the diverse needs of occupants for work, leisure, health and well-being; interactions and non-driving tasks; and design innovations to support requirements for future automated vehicles.
The research will develop knowledge to evidence design guidance concerning occupant ergonomics for automated vehicles. Research questions include:

What potential is there for improving the travelling experience?
What are the constraints/limitations?
How can design innovations support new occupant requirements?

Through our long- established Partnership with Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), the research has the potential for global impact in terms of future automated vehicle development.