With conditionally automated vehicles (Level 3), drivers are still required to be ready to intervene upon a takeover request (TOR) and face the difficulty of achieving their optimal performance level directly after a passive phase. In this work, we examine the effects of using an augmented reality (AR) interface with world-registered visualizations to assist drivers in the last moments before a takeover and in the first seconds of controlling the vehicle. We focus on urban situations with an unplanned, short-notice TOR and created three distinct example scenarios in a mixed-reality driving simulation. We present a prototype of an AR assistance system realized on a simulated windshield display (WSD). In a user study, we compare the AR system to a conventional head-down display (HDD) and present results on driving performance, driver workload and usability. The AR assistant enabled higher lateral performance and reduced workload in situations where steering is required directly after takeover but prolonged reaction time when only fast longitudinal input was required. The AR interface performed better than the HDD in most user-centered aspects including comfort of use and helpfulness.

In this work, we examine the implications of driving with transparent cockpits (TCs) in a narrow-space overtaking scenario. We utilize a virtual environment to simulate two possible manifestations: a user-controlled head-mounted system and a static projection-based system. We conducted a user study with an overtaking task and present results for acceptance and a comparison of both systems regarding user experience. Participants preferred the static TC and evaluated it as the solution with higher pragmatic quality and attractiveness. The TC generally scored highly in hedonic quality and was rated positively regarding perceived safety and ease of use.

The transparent cockpit (TC) is a driver-car interface concept in which processed camera images of the surrounding environment are superimposed onto the car interior to give the driver the ability to see through the cockpit. For a perspectively accurate experience from the driver's point of view, head tracking is required. However, a real-world system may be prone to typical tracking errors, especially while driving. In this work, we present a TC simulation using artificial errors of various types to examine how much each type affects driver performance and experience. First results of an initial study show that there is generally no significant deterioration of lateral performance compared to a perfectly accurate TC. Repeated loss of tracking was least noticed by participants. Accuracy (miscalibration) and precision (jitter) errors were noticed the most.

We anticipate advancements in mixed reality device technology which might benefit driver-car interaction scenarios and present a simulated diminished reality interface for car drivers. It runs in a custom driving simulation and allows drivers to perceive otherwise occluded objects of the environment through the car body. We expect to obtain insights that will be relevant to future real-world applications. We conducted a pre-study with participants performing a driving task with the prototype in a CAVE-like virtual environment. Users preferred large-sized see-through areas over small ones but had differing opinions on the level of transparency to use. In future work, we plan additional evaluations of the driving performance and will further extend the simulation.

In this paper, we propose a floating, multi-layered, wide field-of-view user interface for car drivers. It utilizes stereoscopic depth and focus blurring to highlight items with high priority or urgency. Individual layers are additionally used to separate groups of UI elements according to importance or context. Our work is motivated by two main prospects: a fundamentally changing driver-car interaction and ongoing technology advancements for mixed reality devices. A working prototype has been implemented as part of a custom driving simulation and will be further extended. We plan evaluations in contexts ranging from manual to fully automated driving, providing context-specific suggestions. We want to determine user preferences for layout and prioritization of the UI elements, perceived quality of the interface and effects on driving performance.

Mobile location recognition by capturing images of the environment (visual localization) is a promising technique for indoor navigation in arbitrary surroundings. However, it has barely been investigated so far how the user interface (UI) can cope with the challenges of the vision-based localization technique, such as varying quality of the query images. We implemented a novel UI for visual localization, consisting of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) views that actively communicate and ensure localization accuracy. If necessary, the system encourages the user to point the smartphone at distinctive regions to improve localization quality. We evaluated the UI in a experimental navigation task with a prototype, informed by initial evaluation results using design mockups. We found that VR can contribute to efficient and effective indoor navigation even at unreliable location and orientation accuracy. We discuss identified challenges and share lessons learned as recommendations for future work.

User authentication on publicly exposed terminals with established mechanisms, such as typing the credentials on a virtual keyboard, can be insecure e.g. due to shoulder surfing or due to a hacked terminal. In addition, username and password entry can be time-consuming and thus improvable with relation to usability. As security and comfort are often competing with each other, novel authentication and authorization methods especially for public terminals are desirable. In this paper, we present an approach on a distributed authentication and authorization system, where the user can be easily identified and enabled to use a service with his smartphone. The smartphone (as personal and private device the user is always in control of) can provide a highly secure authentication token that is renewed and exchanged in the background without the user's participation. The claimed improvements were supported by a user survey with an implementation of a digital room management system as an example for a public display. The proposed authentication procedure would increase security and yet enable fast authentication within publicly exposed terminals.

Saving money is usually a tedious task that requires a high degree of self-control for many of us. Some people have one or more specific savings targets in mind and thus need to prioritize them. We propose connecting a savings box with a personal smartphone. Thus, people become motivated to keep track of their savings for multiple targets. Using a savings box capable of counting money and connecting it to an app, we believe people stick to their plans to save with higher motivation and are happier with their behavior. In this paper, we present first evidence for the success of this concept. We gathered feedback through an online user study in which participants were shown a video prototype. We propose further research directions with our SmartPiggy, to confirm the feasibility of behavioral economics in HCI.