Development of an Autonomous Family Vehicle using a Scenario-Based Design Approach

One major challenge when designing autonomous vehicles is to enable independent and safe use by a wide range of users, including those who are reliant on an accompanying person when using a conventional car. In this paper, we present the use of a scenario-based design approach for the development of a novel autonomous vehicle, which is intended for the use within a multigenerational family. With the help of hypothetical scenarios that describe the use of a driverless vehicle by different user types, we concretize requirements that were previously formulated at a higher level of abstraction. Moreover, the presentation of proposed solutions in concrete scenarios helps to identify weaknesses of the intended concepts and challenges that arise from the independent use of autonomous vehicles by certain user groups. The resulting requirements, which significantly depend on assumptions regarding potential user restrictions, have a far-reaching influence on the entire vehicle design.