Abstract
Automation Surprise (AS) has traditionally been studied as a system‐ or user‐induced failure in high‐risk orsafety‐criticaldomains. However, as automated vehicles (AVs) enter everyday mobility, wearguefora shift in perspective: from As as failure, to ASasalivedexperience. This study explores how ASunfolds during non‐critical automated driving, using a phenomenologically informed, design research approach. We conducted a Wizard‐of‐Ozstudy in which participants experienced automated driving on realroads. By mainly interpreting interview data, we show how subtle mismatches between AVbehaviouranduser expectations can trigger surprise, even when the system performs technically correctly. These moments involved embodied sensations, attentionalshifts, and sensemaking of the environment. We propose that ASin AVsshouldbereframedasasituatedexperience. We contribute an expanded conceptual is ation of AS, and identify design considerations for future design and research, expanding from merely preventing AS.
Keywords
Automated Driving; Automation Surprise; Wizardof Oz; Experience Prototype; Phenomenol‐ ogy; User Experience; Design Research; Human‐Vehicle Interaction
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1080
Citation
Dong, H., Wang, Y., Bazilinskyy, P., Bruns, M.,and Martens, M.(2025) Encountering Automation Surprise in Everyday Automated Driving: An Exploratory Phenomenological Inspired Study Using A Wizard‐of‐Oz Vehicle on Real Motorways, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1080
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 3 - Design, Art & Technology
Encountering Automation Surprise in Everyday Automated Driving: An Exploratory Phenomenological Inspired Study Using A Wizard‐of‐Oz Vehicle on Real Motorways
Automation Surprise (AS) has traditionally been studied as a system‐ or user‐induced failure in high‐risk orsafety‐criticaldomains. However, as automated vehicles (AVs) enter everyday mobility, wearguefora shift in perspective: from As as failure, to ASasalivedexperience. This study explores how ASunfolds during non‐critical automated driving, using a phenomenologically informed, design research approach. We conducted a Wizard‐of‐Ozstudy in which participants experienced automated driving on realroads. By mainly interpreting interview data, we show how subtle mismatches between AVbehaviouranduser expectations can trigger surprise, even when the system performs technically correctly. These moments involved embodied sensations, attentionalshifts, and sensemaking of the environment. We propose that ASin AVsshouldbereframedasasituatedexperience. We contribute an expanded conceptual is ation of AS, and identify design considerations for future design and research, expanding from merely preventing AS.