To Örebro University

This paper outlines thesis work aiming to describe and understand the phenomenon of 'mode confusion' in the interaction between driver and semi-autonomous vehicles. The final thesis goal is to develop a set of design principles, which can guide the development of in-vehicle information systems to enhance the user experience of semi-automated driving. The scientific approach chosen to address the described knowledge gaps, consists of two phases; an exploratory research phase aiming to understand the research field, which is followed by a design research approach aiming to develop design guidelines. This paper describes the first phase of the project, which aims to build a theoretical framework and finally define a hypothesis concerning the phenomenon of 'mode confusion'. A first draft of the developed hypothesis is presented.