About the project

Vision

Automated transport technology is developing rapidly for all transport modes, with huge safety potential. The transition to full automation, however, brings new risks, such as mode confusion, overreliance, reduced situational awareness and misuse. The driving task changes to a more supervisory role, reducing the task load and potentially leading to degraded human performance. Similarly, the automated system may not (yet) function in all situations.

The objective of the mediator system is to intelligently assess the strengths and weaknesses of both the driver and the automation and mediate between them, while also taking into account the driving context.

MEDIATOR will optimise the safety potential of vehicle automation during the transition to full (level 5) automation. It will reduce risks, such as those caused by driver fatigue or inattention, or on the automation side imperfect automated driving technology. MEDIATOR will facilitate market exploitation by actively involving the automotive industry during the development process.

To accomplish the development of this support system MEDIATOR will integrate and enhance existing knowledge of human factors and HMI, taking advantage of the of expertise in other transport modes (aviation, rail and maritime). It will develop and adapt available technologies for real-time data collection, storage and analysis and incorporate the latest artificial intelligence techniques, such as deep learning.

Outputs

  • MEDIATOR will develop an adaptive support system for road transport, reducing human error from new and existing sources during the transition to higher levels of automation (SAE Levels 2-4). This intelligent mediating system will enable safe,
    real-time switching between the human driver and automated system, based on which is fittest to drive. It will constantly weigh driving context, driver state and vehicle automation status, while personalising its technology to the drivers’ general competence, characteristics, and preferences.
  • MEDIATOR will develop:
    • guidelines for measuring degraded driver performance;
    • guidelines for safe, user-centred HMI design;
    • a protocol for low-cost testing of mediator systems;
    • recommendations on relevant legal and regulatory aspects.
  • MEDIATOR will develop roadmaps for maximising the exploitation of results after the project’s end.

Impact

The MEDIATOR project will have a strong impact on realizing the huge potential of automated driving to make road transport more resilient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, as well as safer for all citizens, including those with mobility limitations.

The large interest of the automotive industry in MEDIATOR shows that the concept is highly relevant and desirable, leading to an innovative system that the European automotive industry will be eager to implement. The leading-edge mediator system will make them more competitive internationally and contribute to the economic growth of the European Union.