Quantitatively shaping and optimizing the user experience in ADS and DAS conflict management (QUADRARUM)

Research Project, 2025 – 2028

As autonomous driving systems (ADS) and driver assistance systems (DAS) continue to develop, optimising the user experience in handling emerging conflicts is crucial for their uptake and deployment. If ADS/DAS actions do not seem justified and relevant to users, they will neither use ADS nor trust DAS to resolve conflicts, diminishing the intended safety benefits. To mitigate this problem, ADS and DAS must be designed to neither overreact nor underreact to conflicts. This research project aims to develop the tools and knowledge needed to secure this critical aspect of ADS/DAS design. This aim addresses several focus areas, including ADS situational awareness, planning, rule setup, driving decisions in varying traffic environments, and interaction between the vehicle and nearby road users, along with expectations on ADS and DAS behaviour from both users and other road users.

The project will develop state-of-the-art methods for understanding traffic conflict causation that leverages large scale high-resolution fleet data (something that has not been possible before). It will also use the latest insights in the field regarding how to quantify users’ comfort zone boundaries for different emerging conflict scenarios. Results are expected to directly inform ADS/DAS development within the project partner organisations. A successful project equips the Swedish automotive industry with important tools and knowledge to improve the user experience of and foster trust in ADS/AD—both aspects of the system design that are crucial for consumer adoption and achieving the intended safety benefits of these systems.

Volvo Cars will coordinate the project, with involvement from Chalmers University of Technology, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, Zenseact, and SmartEye.