A novel technique for faster responses to take over requests in an automated vehicle

In Level 3 automated vehicles, drivers must take back control when prompted by a Take Over Request (TOR). However, there is currently no consensus on the safest way to achieve this. Research has shown that participants interact faster with an avatar when this “glows” in synchrony with participant physiology (heartbeat). We hypothesized that a similar form of synchronization might allow drivers to react faster to a TOR. Using a driving simulator, we studied driver responses to a TOR when permanently visible ambient lighting was synchronized with participants’ breathing. Experimental participants responded to the TOR faster than controls. There were no significant effects on self-reported trust or physiological arousal, and none of the participants reported that they were aware of the manipulation. These findings suggest that new ways of keeping the driver unconsciously “connected” to the vehicle could facilitate faster, and potentially safer, transfers of control.