Work

When and How to Explain: Designing Human-Machine Interfaces for Pilotless Urban Air Mobility

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is expected to operate without onboard pilots, raising concerns about passenger trust in automation. Building on findings from autonomous vehicle (AV) research, this study investigates whether explanation-based human-machine interfaces (HMIs) can enhance trust in UAM. We developed a virtual simulation with five conditions, varying the type (how vs. how+why) and timing (pre-event vs. post-event) of system-generated explanations. A baseline condition with no explanation was also included. Participants will experience multiple UAM issue events (e.g., fog, gusts), during which trust, transparency, and competence are measured. We anticipate that both how and why explanations will increase trust, with why and pre-event explanations expected to have stronger effects. Our findings will inform the design of explainable UAM systems that foster psychological comfort and acceptance.

Source: International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (AutomotiveUI)

DOI: 10.1145/3744335.3756859

Authors: Jongwoo Park, Siyoung Kim, Young Woo Kim

Institutions: Yonsei University, Gyeongsang National University

Language: English

Topic: Human-Automation Interaction and Safety

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea

Award: G5906717364