Driver and Vehicle

The unit of Driver and vehicles primarily researches the interaction between humans and vehicles and the human's ability to adapt to new technical systems, new mobility solutions and their effects on behavior.

The automotive industry and the transport sector are undergoing rapid technological development, especially in digitalization, automation and electrification. The researchers at our unit explore how we humans can benefit from the new technology and the new systems in our vehicles.

Although new technology is often there to make things easier for us – as automation – humans will still have an important role in the future and need to manage the technical systems. In self-driving vehicles, humans may not have to drive themselves, but at the same time must make decisions and monitor the technology. The role of humans will be different, but no less important than before.

Many of our research projects deal with the major transformation that electrification, automation and digitalization entail. Other projects focus on new types of vehicles and how humans interact with them.

One example is a large project where we follow young people who drive A-class tractors for several years to see how their driving habits affect their behavior in traffic when they get and have gotten a car driver's license.