An Auditory Display for Remote Road Vehicle Operation That Increases Awareness and Presence

Larsson, Pontus; de Souza, Johanna Bergfelt Ramos; Begnert, Joel · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21785/icad2023.8296

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Summary

This study investigates the integration of auditory displays into remote road vehicle operation interfaces to address human factors challenges such as limited situational awareness, high cognitive load, and difficulty in perceiving speed and ego-motion. While current remote operator interfaces rely predominantly on visual cues, the authors argue that incorporating sound can enhance an operator’s sense of presence, speed regulation, and awareness of surrounding traffic. The research specifically focuses on remote driving, testing whether an auditory display providing propulsion sound from the ego-vehicle and spatially augmented sounds of surrounding road users improves these metrics. The experiment utilized a within-group 2x2 full factorial design with propulsion sound and spatial augmented sound as independent variables (on/off). Twenty-eight licensed drivers participated in a simulated driving environment using the CARLA software and a custom auditory display prototype called LAVA. The setup included three curved screens for visual input, a steering wheel controller, and binaural headphones for audio. The auditory stimuli consisted of synthesized propulsion sounds (including low-frequency vibrotactile feedback) and spatialized sounds of cars, pedestrians, and cyclists, rendered with head-tracking to enhance localization. Participants drove predefined routes at night to reduce visual detectability of other road users, tasked with maintaining a speed of 50 km/h and navigating scenarios involving other traffic. Results indicated that both auditory components significantly improved operator performance and perception. Propulsion sound significantly enhanced the sensation of presence and ego-motion, with participants rating their sense of "being there" and the reality of the virtual environment significantly higher when propulsion sound was present. Augmented sound significantly improved situational awareness, specifically regarding the ability to localize and understand the direction of pedestrians, cyclists, and cars. Furthermore, the auditory displays improved speed regulation performance. The study found that propulsion sound was critical for the sensation of ego-motion and presence, while augmented sound was particularly effective for enhancing situational awareness of the surrounding environment. The findings suggest that auditory displays are a valuable addition to remote vehicle operation interfaces, offering benefits beyond visual-only systems. By improving speed perception, ego-motion sensation, and situational awareness, these displays can help mitigate the risks associated with remote driving, such as inaccurate speed estimation and reduced awareness of hazards. The study concludes that incorporating sound, particularly propulsion and spatialized environmental sounds, can create a more immersive and effective remote operating experience, potentially leading to safer and more efficient teleoperation. This supports the broader adoption of multi-sensory interfaces in automated and remote driving technologies.

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Topics

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• auditory
• auditory warnings
• situational awareness
• music audio mood
• multimodal feedback
• ehmi external hmi