Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Impact of a Bird's Eye View on Situational Awareness in Remote Driving

While autonomous vehicles have the potential to fundamentally reshape transportation and daily life, their current technological limitations require human intervention through teleoperation to handle complex situations. These situations can range from unexpected road obstacles and complex traffic patterns to emergency scenarios that exceed the vehicle’s autonomous decision-making capabilities. In such cases, remote operators must take control of the vehicle, making tele-driving a critical component of autonomous vehicle systems. Tele-driving requires high situational awareness (SA) to ensure safety and prevent accidents. This study investigates the effectiveness of incorporating a bird’s eye view (BEV) in tele-driving interfaces. Through two comprehensive experiments, we compared a regular frontal view with different arrangements of BEV added to it. Our findings indicate that adding a BEV does not enhance the tele-driver’s SA and may even impair the perception of critical environmental elements in certain scenarios. The findings provide valuable insights for the design of tele-driving interfaces.