Encountering automation surprise in everyday automated driving: An exploratory phenomenological inspired study using a Wizard‐of‐Oz vehicle on real motorways

Dong, H., Yuanzi, W., Bazilinskyy, P., Bruns, M., Martens, M. H.

Proceedings of International Association of Societies of Design Research Congress (IASDR). Taipei, Taiwan (2025)

ABSTRACT Automation Surprise (AS) has traditionally been studied as a system‐ or user‐induced failure in high‐risk or safety‐critical domains. However, as automated vehicles (AVs) enter everyday mobility, we argue for a shift in perspective: from AS as failure, to AS as a lived experience. This study explores how AS unfolds during non‐critical automated driving, using a phenomenologically informed, design research approach. We conducted a Wizard‐of‐Oz study in which participants experienced automated driving on real roads. By mainly interpreting interview data, we show how subtle mismatches between AV behaviour and user expectations can trigger surprise, even when the system performs technically correctly. These moments involved embodied sensations, attentional shifts, and sensemaking of the environment. We propose that AS in AVs should be reframed as a situated experience. We contribute an expanded conceptualisation of AS, and identify design considerations for future design and research, expanding from merely preventing AS.