Driving from Afar : Exploring requirements and guidelines for next-generation remote operation interfaces in public transportation

Sammanfattning: This study focuses on exploring the possibilities and challenges associated with remote operation andremote driving of vehicles for the transition to autonomous passenger transportation. It adopts a user-centered design perspective, emphasizing the importance of effective communication between theoperator and the vehicle in remote driving and remote operating systems. Semi-structured interviews wereconducted with drivers from an autonomous bus project and an expert in remote technology to gatherinsights into the situations for remote driving and the information exchange between the vehicle and theoperator. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the interview data, identifying themes related to thesituations for remote driving as well as the information exchange between the operator and the vehicle.The research findings emphasize the necessity of integrating remote driving into remote operationsystems and highlight important strategies for operator-vehicle communication such as scanning thevehicle's surroundings and using sensor maps. The findings from the analysis were used to produce adesign specification through a process that incorporated User Experience design, Usability design, andSituational awareness design methods. The final specification includes recommendations andrequirements for the interface design, focusing on enhancing situational awareness, usability, andeffective communication. Overall, this design specification serves as a valuable resource for guiding thefuture development of interfaces for remote operation and remote driving in autonomous passengertransportation