Interior-Package-Design-Tool for Highly Automated Passenger Vehicles

Author:

Claus Bertram Heinrich Bonerz

Pages:

240

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18154/RWTH-2025-10997

Year:

2026

Language:

german

Format:

ebook

Starting with the UNECE-Regulation on automated driving regarding SAE-Level 3, the automotive market changes due to the launches of conditionally automated vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 or the EQS V297. At national level this change is visible by the resolution of the german Bundesrat on the AutonomeFahrzeuge-Genehmigungs-und-Betriebsverordnung, which regulates the approval and use of highly automated vehicles (HAV) according to SAE-Level 4.

The automotive product development process (PDP) is a highly complex, highly cross-linked procedure with strong interdependencies. Due to the rising number of requirements, computer-aided design-tools have established themselves as a measure for mastering complexity in the early stages of conception. These tools support the dimensional- and package-conception and improve thereby the data consistency, hence reducing the risk of dead ends in development. With this they increase the overall efficiency of the development process. This approach is known as Frontloading. These tools are part of this approach. HAV will move users further into the focus of development, since now the driver can fully indulge in non-driving-related activities (NDRA). As a result the interior gains in importance as a purchase-deciding criterion, since it now has to accommodate the driving-task as well as NDRA. As a consequence the number of requirements and their interdependencies continues to rise, which increases the complexity of the PDP. Complexity-reducing measures therefore need to be taken for the design and conception of interiors for HAV.

As a contribution to this field of research a modular method for the parametric, semiautomated and user centred interior-conception was developed for HAV according SAE-Level 4. User-centricity is based on the consideration of geometrical and functional user needs based on relevant NDRA and the resulting consideration of geometrical and ergonomical user needs. These needs were determined in three studies. The computer-aided tool uses parametric interior modelling to create a consistent interior dimensional concept. Based on the dimensional concept the tool enables the design of NDRA-specific interior packages. These packages are put out as CADmodels.

Following the development of the method a three-stage evaluation process is started. Each stage has its own perspective on the method. The first stage takes the perspective of the method developer for checking the fulfilment of the requirements imposed on the method. The second stage uses the perspective of the vehicle developer for checking the functionality of the method. The third stage takes the perspective of the vehicle user looking at the exemplary interiors. A user-study will be conducted to investigate the usability for NDRA of the developed interiors. Based on the findings of the development and evaluation the work is reflected on and an outlook is given.