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Intelligent Transportation Systems
Joint Program Office

Human Factors

Human Factors research examines how people interact with automated vehicles and transportation systems, identifying potential mismatches and developing best practices for safe and effective operations.

Goal

Identify likely safety-relevant scenarios where human performance and interaction behaviors with vehicle automation technologies have a mismatch and develop corresponding Human Factors best practices.

Approach

Build understanding of safety-related human factors issues at all AV levels including interactions in varying environments (multimodal, freight, urban mix, etc.)

Anticipated Outcomes

Enhanced safety in and around AV deployments and reduced problem interactions.

Near-Term Actions

Research understanding, trust, and use of all automation levels, assess attentional engagement at lower automation levels, examine current and emerging human interfaces to automation systems, and research design and operations of automation with all external road users.

Current Project Highlights

Research Key AV Safety Issues Related to TSMO

Identifies key human factors safety issues associated with operating ADS (Automated Driving Systems) in Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) use cases, e.g., basic traveling (reoccurring congestion), work zones, weather, and Traffic Information Management (TIM).

Investigate Key AV Human Factors Safety Issues Related to Infrastructure

Identify key human factors safety issues regarding the safe operation of vehicles with engaged motor vehicle driving automation features as a function of roadway infrastructure

Field Data Collection with Consumer Available Driver Support Systems known as SAE Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

This study will include a large-scale on-road field study of L2 partial driving automation system vehicles - with representative samples of different makes/models.