The Teleoperation of Highly Automated Vehicles: A Human-Centered Workplace Design for Remote Assistants

The vision of fully autonomous vehicles remains unfeasible in the foreseeable future. One potential solution is teleoperation, which refers to the intervention by a remote operator in the event of a problem. High-level, remote assistance can solve several problems, such as overcoming construction zones or resolving ambiguous perceptions. Essentially, the vehicle retains responsibility for the journey (e.g., lateral and longitudinal control). The remote assistant can resolve specific issues by applying high-level interpretation skills and problem-solving abilities. A suitable setup is crucial for conducting scientific studies in this field. From the human factors and ergonomics perspective, optimizing the interface design between the remote operator and the vehicle is of significant interest. These factors are quantified through measuring mental strain, stress, the successful resolution of situations, and situational understanding, highlighting the importance of a well-equipped research environment. The majority of existing work in this field concerns remote driving. In this scenario, the remote driver assumes control of the vehicle's lateral and longitudinal movements. ... mehrSeveral approaches to implementation exist, including virtual reality, simulator setups, or control with a steering wheel and pedals. While only two publicshed concepts for remote assistance have emerged to date, there is a clear need for further research and development in this field. We are developing an ergonomic workplace used as a controlled test environment, paving the way for future advancements. It is based on the knowledge of the relevant information, interaction concepts, and required context information. We are carrying out usability and performance tests in the iterative development process. The scientific basis and the latest setup, with its evaluation, will be presen-
ted and discussed.