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11 June 2025
Would you trust a driverless automotive? A 2024 global survey involving nearly 8000 participants suggests most individuals are wary of handing over the steering wheel to sensors, cameras and computer algorithms.
However, a brand new study by Australian and French researchers shows that augmented reality (AR) could increase overall confidence in autonomous vehicles by simulating the experience and allowing drivers to personalise the AR interface.
The University of South Australia (UniSA) and IMT Atlantique created a classy virtual reality driving simulator using headsets, testing seven AR visualisations with 28 participants, where details about driving conditions was added, modified and even faraway from the simulation.
The participants were aged 22-50 and included 18 males and 10 females.
AR can deliver real-time, critical information directly onto the windshield or dash, alerting drivers to potential hazards and obstacles, speed limits and navigation directions. The technology uses sensors to deliver the information, ensuring that drivers stay focused on the road while accessing critical information.
Driving-related AR visuals included navigation paths, incoming vehicle alerts and pedestrians; and non-driving visuals ranged from aesthetic modifications to points of interest, similar to cafes and dinosaur parks.
The researchers found that participants’ trust in autonomous vehicles was “significantly increased” when AR was used so as to add or change driving-related information, tailoring visual cues based on a driver’s preference, attention patterns and stress levels.
“Trust is a serious barrier to the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles,” says UniSA and IMT Atlantique PhD candidate Hoa Tran, who led the study.
“Despite autonomous vehicles being generally safer than human drivers in routine conditions, there may be a worldwide reluctance to completely embrace them, but augmented reality might have the option to alter that.
“The AR visuals helped participants understand the autonomous vehicle’s decision-making process, which is very vital in complex traffic scenarios,” Hoa says.
Even non-driving related additions, like landmarks or interior design enhancements within the automotive, improved trust amongst users. However, additionally they carried a greater risk of driver distraction.
Conversely, removing certain varieties of information – similar to unnecessary pedestrian visuals or visual obstructions within the automotive – was helpful for reducing mental clutter, however it negatively affected user confidence.
“The message is that less isn’t all the time more,” says co-author UniSA researcher Dr James Walsh.
“The design of AR in autonomous vehicles must balance clarity with user comfort and private preference.”
Researchers suggest future work should involve real-world testing in higher-quality simulators, in addition to trials involving a more diverse demographic.
“Our findings support the concept that trust in driverless cars may be built not only through more information, but the suitable information,” Dr Walsh says.
“Impact of Adding, Removing and Modifying Driving and Non-Driving Related Information on Trust in Autonomous Vehicles” is authored by Thi Thanh Hoa Tran, Assoc Prof Etienne Peillard and Prof Guillaume Moreau from IMT Atlantique, and Dr James Walsh and Prof Bruce Thomas from the University of South Australia. DOI: 10.1109/VRW66409.2025.00277
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Contacts for interview:
Dr James Walsh E: james.walsh@unisa.edu.au
Hoa Tran E: thi-thanh-hoa.tran@imt-atlantique.fr
Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au
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