Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour
Automated shuttles provide a first look at future transportation, however, they still require on-board human operators for regulatory compliance and safety assurance. This paper examines the experiences of eight shuttle operators through two studies. The aim was to investigate their alertness throug...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225000119 |
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| author | Christer Ahlström My Weidel Anna Sjörs Dahlman Ashleigh Filtness Anna Anund |
| author_facet | Christer Ahlström My Weidel Anna Sjörs Dahlman Ashleigh Filtness Anna Anund |
| author_sort | Christer Ahlström |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Automated shuttles provide a first look at future transportation, however, they still require on-board human operators for regulatory compliance and safety assurance. This paper examines the experiences of eight shuttle operators through two studies. The aim was to investigate their alertness throughout their working shifts. Study A used a controlled experimental methodology to compare fatigue and gaze behaviour at complex road sections during the first and last hours of one shift. Study B involved naturalistic observations over two months, examining sleep, sleepiness and stress.Study B found that 27% of work shifts occurred following less than six hours of sleep. However, only 1% of shifts resulted in a Karolinska Sleepiness Score of 7 or higher, suggesting that insufficient sleep was rare. Stress was also infrequently reported. Notable individual differences suggested the potential value of personalized approaches to fatigue management. Study A revealed that while overall alertness was generally adequate, gaze patterns often deviated from safe expectations. Operators paid less attention to their surroundings than would be expected (21% not looking left, 38% not looking right, 58% not looking to the rear of the vehicle, in situations where this would have been appropriate).The results are important for safety operators and their employers, highlighting the shared responsibility of having well-prepared and well-rested operators who are fit to effectively monitor the automated shuttle for an entire driving period. Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to maintain operators’ situational awareness over time, especially as their confidence in the vehicles’ capabilities increases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7d8bcb7466e345f48b2b5b883d7abd0f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2590-1982 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives |
| spelling | doaj-art-7d8bcb7466e345f48b2b5b883d7abd0f2025-02-09T05:01:19ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822025-01-0129101332Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviourChrister Ahlström0My Weidel1Anna Sjörs Dahlman2Ashleigh Filtness3Anna Anund4Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; Corresponding author at: VTI, Olaus Magnus väg 35, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden.Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden; Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, SwedenSwedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden; Department of Electrical Engineering and SAFER, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, SwedenTransport Safety Research Centre, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UKSwedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden; Rehabilitation Medicine, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, SwedenAutomated shuttles provide a first look at future transportation, however, they still require on-board human operators for regulatory compliance and safety assurance. This paper examines the experiences of eight shuttle operators through two studies. The aim was to investigate their alertness throughout their working shifts. Study A used a controlled experimental methodology to compare fatigue and gaze behaviour at complex road sections during the first and last hours of one shift. Study B involved naturalistic observations over two months, examining sleep, sleepiness and stress.Study B found that 27% of work shifts occurred following less than six hours of sleep. However, only 1% of shifts resulted in a Karolinska Sleepiness Score of 7 or higher, suggesting that insufficient sleep was rare. Stress was also infrequently reported. Notable individual differences suggested the potential value of personalized approaches to fatigue management. Study A revealed that while overall alertness was generally adequate, gaze patterns often deviated from safe expectations. Operators paid less attention to their surroundings than would be expected (21% not looking left, 38% not looking right, 58% not looking to the rear of the vehicle, in situations where this would have been appropriate).The results are important for safety operators and their employers, highlighting the shared responsibility of having well-prepared and well-rested operators who are fit to effectively monitor the automated shuttle for an entire driving period. Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to maintain operators’ situational awareness over time, especially as their confidence in the vehicles’ capabilities increases.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225000119Autonomous shuttleProfessional driverDriver fatigueDriver sleepinessSituation awarenessDriver vigilance |
| spellingShingle | Christer Ahlström My Weidel Anna Sjörs Dahlman Ashleigh Filtness Anna Anund Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives Autonomous shuttle Professional driver Driver fatigue Driver sleepiness Situation awareness Driver vigilance |
| title | Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour |
| title_full | Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour |
| title_short | Exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles: Fatigue, attention, and gaze behaviour |
| title_sort | exploring the operator experience in automated shuttles fatigue attention and gaze behaviour |
| topic | Autonomous shuttle Professional driver Driver fatigue Driver sleepiness Situation awareness Driver vigilance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198225000119 |
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