Control element facilitates transition to automated driving
As long as the driver drives a car himself, he has the steering wheel in his hands – but how much influence does he have when the automatic system takes over control – does he have any influence at all? Continental has developed a central input device to further advance the development of automated driving. Smart Control makes the role change from driver to user of automated driving functions transparent and intuitive. It informs you whether the vehicle allows an automated or manual driving mode and can also be used to control driving maneuvres. The success of automated vehicles requires acceptance and trust by the user. “
We achieve this with an integrated human-machine interface that informs the user transparently with intuitive interaction concepts and allows the possibility of influencing driving manoeuvres,”says Frank Rabe, head of the Instrumentation & Driver HMI business unit at Continental. Smart Control as a new type of control element ensures the dialogue between user and vehicle during this critical phase.
In order to ensure that the distribution of tasks between driver and vehicle during the phases of highly and fully automated driving (SAE levels 3 and 4, Conditional and High Automation) is safe, Continental’s input device fulfils key tasks: As an element in the centre console of the vehicle, it provides continuous information about the current driving mode thanks to a kinematics function. During manual driving phases, it disappears in the centre console so that the driver can only use the upper touchpad, for example to control infotainment.
As soon as the vehicle is on an automated track, the device moves out of the centre console and the driver can activate automation with the input device. The device is operated similar to a joystick, supported by variable haptic feedback. Smart Control’s additional color coding provides clarity about the current state of automation: Depending on the driving mode, the input device together with other elements in the cockpit, such as the fully digital instrument cluster, is illuminated in a certain color.
On the other hand, the development contributes to keeping the user’s attention on a high level, even during the automated ride. It is particularly important to ensure that the sensitive handover phase at the end of an autonomous section of the journey is safe. “We are talking about the concept of “cooperative automation”. The vehicle performs simple driving tasks such as holding the lane independently, the driver, on the other hand, gives instructions for complex driving tasks, such as overtaking on the motorway, which the vehicle then performs automatically,” explains Rabe. Thus, that the driver always remains in the loop of the driving task.
The driver can also use the input device to switch between different modes in the digital instrument cluster. From a maximum environmental visualisation showing all road users in close proximity to a strongly reduced view that offers a view of the preceding sections, the driver can choose with the aid of the device.
As part of the design of the central input element, Continental carried out an ergonomics test to identify the correct shape and suitable materials for an ergonomic design. In the default state, the design is primarily functionally oriented; however, it can be adapted to suit specific manufacturers. In addition to haptic feedback for confirming driver orders, the developers have also integrated a function that prevents unwanted operation – the device can recognize whether the driver has put his hand to the device intentionally or has only touched the device accidentally.
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