Zusammenfassung The article describes first results of the research project PRORETA 3 that aims at the development of an integral driver assistance system for collision avoidance and automated vehicle guidance based on a modular system architecture. For this purpose, relevant information is extracted from a dense environment model and fed into a potential field-based trajectory planner that calculates reference signals for underlying vehicle controllers. In addition, the driver is supported by a human-machine interface.

Automated vehicles will soon be integrated into our current traffic system. This development will lead to a novel mixed-traffic environment where connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) will have to interact with other road users (ORU). To enable this interaction, external human–machine interfaces (eHMIs) have been shown to have major benefits regarding the trust and acceptance of CAVs in multiple studies. However, a harmonization of eHMI signals seems to be necessary since the developed signals are extremely varied and sometimes even contradict each other. Therefore, the present paper proposes guidelines for designing eHMI signals, taking into account important factors such as how and in which situations a CAV needs to communicate with ORU. The authors propose 17 heuristics, the so-called eHMI-principles, as requirements for the safe and efficient use of eHMIs in a systematic and application-oriented manner.