AutoWSD - Complexity Analysis of Automotive Windshield Displays

In contrast to desktop and mobile applications, there has been little research on graphical user interface design in the automotive domain so far – especially with respect to windshield displays (WSDs). WSDs are considered the big siblings of head-up displays (HUDs) and utilize the entire windshield as a screen. Designers strive for an enjoyable user experience, and they put significant efforts into designing graphical user interfaces to be both usable and aesthetic. However, accomplishing this task is time consuming and costly. The goal of this dissertation project is to minimize the effort by automatically computing visual complexity metrics for WSD applications. By quantifying the visual complexity of WSD applications, designers and developers will be able to improve the usability of their apps based on these metrics.

For this purpose, a virtual reality driving simulator which makes it possible to investigate the role of user interface complexity in WSD applications is designed and created. With the simulator, user studies for the evaluation of WSDs as interaction devices for a multitude of purposes, such as entertainment and work tasks, will be conducted. A further intention is to create a view management concept for WSDs and to investigate the role of privacy and trust in this regard. Ultimately, the goal is to help WSD application designers to create user interfaces that maximize the usability and user experience of WSD apps for (semi-)automated vehicle drivers.