Autonomous Driving promises multiple advantages, like an increase of road safety, as well as an increase in time – drivers can read or work, while the car drives to the destination automatically. Despite that, the use of autonomous driving can also lead to insecurities: Do I have to take control, because automation is not fitted for all situations? Do I get sick while reading? Has my car really recognised the cyclist in front of me? A high degree of insecurity during the interaction with an automated system can lead to a reduced trust in automation, and with this in a decrease in use of automation, which again results in a reduction of the promised advantages.

In AutoAkzept, OFFIS has – in cooperation with our project partners – the hypothesis that the driving style as well as the interaction with the driver by the human-machine interface have the most relevant influence on the acceptance of automation. OFFIS will define, implement, and evaluate different driving styles and associated human-machine communication strategies in a research prototype.