Driving Towards Inclusion: A Systematic Review of AI-powered Accessibility Enhancements for People with Disability in Autonomous Vehicles

TL;DR

This systematic review examines AI-driven accessibility technologies in autonomous vehicles, highlighting current innovations, challenges, and proposing a comprehensive design framework to enhance inclusivity for users with diverse needs.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive review of inclusive HCI in autonomous vehicles and introduces an end-to-end design framework for accessibility across diverse user groups.

Findings

Evaluation of key accessibility technologies like brain-computer interfaces and AR

Review of recent inclusive interface designs by industry leaders

Proposal of a comprehensive framework for accessible vehicle design

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive and, to our knowledge, the first review of inclusive human-computer interaction (HCI) within autonomous vehicles (AVs) and human-driven cars with partial autonomy, emphasizing accessibility and user-centered design principles. We explore the current technologies and HCI systems designed to enhance passenger experience, particularly for individuals with accessibility needs. Key technologies discussed include brain-computer interfaces, anthropomorphic interaction, virtual reality, augmented reality, mode adaptation, voice-activated interfaces, haptic feedback, etc. Each technology is evaluated for its role in creating an inclusive in-vehicle environment. Furthermore, we highlight recent interface designs by leading companies and review emerging concepts and prototypes under development or testing, which show significant potential to address diverse accessibility requirements. Safety considerations, ethical concerns, and adoption of AVs are other major issues that require thorough investigation. Building on these findings, we propose an end-to-end design framework that addresses accessibility requirements across diverse user demographics, including older adults and individuals with physical or cognitive impairments. This work provides actionable insights for designers, researchers, and policymakers aiming to create safer and more comfortable environments in autonomous and regular vehicles accessible to all users.