Automakers envisage HMIs that adapt to different levels of automation

Among the most compelling questions to be asked about vehicle automation are those that focus on the people who will be using and interacting with the vehicles. Amidst talk of robo-taxis and cabin-less trucks, it is sometimes easy to overlook the fact that humans must be a core consideration of AV design. After all, people will be the principal cargo of self-driving shuttles, buses and cars, and in any case, there are many complex steps between Level 1 and Level 5 automation. Drivers will remain behind the wheel for some time to come, and they will want to interact with the Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) in their increasingly capable vehicles in new, innovative and intuitive ways.