Assisting the Shuttles' Automation: On-Board Operators' Workplaces in Three Real-World Laboratories

Abstract

Highly automated vehicles (HAVs) may enhance safety, eco-friendliness, and inclusivity in the mobility sector. Across Germany, a plethora of real-world laboratories with HAVs providing novel mobility solutions in real-world settings has been implemented recently. Due to technological and legal restraints, a steward is required on board of the HAV in all of them. This on-board operator’s task is overseeing driving operations and intervening if necessary, i.e., when the automation’s capability does not suffice to maintain safe driving operations. Three major HAV projects are presented as case studies with a focus on the on-board operators’ workplaces, their tasks, scenarios they are exposed to, and interactions with the driving automation to resolve these scenarios. After analyzing the projects’ communalities and idiosyncrasies, structured interviews with on-board operators were conducted. The interviews focused on the operators’ working environments, their tasks, and scenarios they were exposed to. Additionally, observations of HAV operations in the shuttles they supervise were carried out. The observations examined situations in which operators intervened, their frequency, and the ratio of automated versus manual driving periods. Results showed a highly similar task structure of on-board operators across the three investigated projects despite considerable differences regarding the HAVs’ capabilities of automation, frequency of manual interventions, and the operational contexts. In addition, the setups of workplaces vary substantially, particularly regarding the transparency of the automation’s decision-making process and ways to interact with the automation. Implications for psychologically grounded workplace design and further research will be discussed.