Embodied Design Improvisation for Autonomous Vehicles

We have developed a generative, improvisational and experimental approach to the design of expressive everyday objects, such as mechanical ottomans, emotive dresser drawers and roving trash barrels. We have found that the embodied design improvisation methodology—which includes storyboarding, improvisation, video prototyping, Wizard-of-Oz lab studies and field experiments—has also been effective in designing the behaviors and interfaces of another kind of robot: the autonomous vehicle. This chapter describes our application of this design approach in developing and deploying three studies of autonomous vehicle interfaces and behaviors. The first, WoZ, focuses on the conceptual phase of the design process, using a talk-aloud protocol, improvisation with experts, and rapid prototyping to develop an interface that drivers can trust and hold in esteem. The second, the Real Road Autonomous Driving Simulator, explores people’s naturalistic reactions to prototypes, through an autonomous driving interface that communicates impending action through haptic precues. The third, Ghost Driver, follows the public deployment of a prototype built upon frugal materials and stagecraft, in a field study of how pedestrians negotiate intersections with autonomous vehicles where no driver is visible. Each study suggests design principles to guide further development.