PhD on assessment of Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) for automated vehicles

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

The Department of Industrial Design conducts research on and education in the design of systems with emerging technologies in a social context. We excel at integrating various academic disciplines, including engineering, design, business, and social sciences.

Introduction

Are you passionate about enhancing human-machine interaction in automated vehicles to ensure safety, trust, and usability? Join our PhD project to develop and validate an HMI assessment framework for automated mobility systems in collaboration with leading industry and research partners.

Job Description

More than 1,350,000 people die in traffic every year. Automated vehicles (AVs) are expected to improve road safety and save lives and injuries. As a result, the pace of development of AVs is accelerating. However, despite the fact that technology is enhancing, there are still a lot of human factors that play a role. How can we ensure that these systems are safe to use, that users trust them, that there is no uncertainty, and that people are not confused?

Human Machine Interaction (HMI) is a potential solution for safe and comfortable interactions. However, a challenge is that prototypes for Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) between AVs, the people inside and other road users lack systematic assessment under diverse conditions. We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to work on the development of a validated HMI assessment framework for Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) systems. The project is part of a larger European collaboration CERTAIN with a focus on ensuring Safe, Trustworthy, Accepted, and Comfortable (STAC) human-machine interaction within automated transportation systems.

The aim of this PhD project is to contribute to the development of human-centred design specifications, experimental studies, and validation methods to assess HMI performance across diverse road users (including users with special needs) and automation levels. The results of the project will be used by academia, automotive manufacturers and governments to coordinate the actions of future traffic participants. There will be close interaction with the industry and such companies as IDIADA, DAF, Jaguar Land Rover, and Toyota, as well as universities and knowledge institutes, such as TNO, the University of Leeds, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), and RWTH Aachen. There will be opportunities to conduct joint experiments with other PhD candidates. The candidate will work very closely with Dr. Pavlo Bazilinskyy, who has a background in Computer Science and Human Factors and Prof. Marieke Martens with a background in Psychology and Human Factors. The project presents a unique chance to conduct empirical design-driven research.

Research objectives

• Develop an HMI assessment component with pass/fail criteria based on STAC principles.
• Investigate human-centric approaches, focusing on various road users (drivers, vulnerable road users, passengers, bystanders, and active interactors).
• Define key assessment variables (e.g., mode confusion, automation surprise, situational awareness, learnability) and validate them through experimental studies.
• Conduct design-driven empirical research using advanced testing facilities, including driving simulators, virtual reality setups, and on-road vehicles.
• Integrate inclusivity principles, considering age, cultural background, disabilities, and experience levels in HMI design.
• Contribute to the development of tools and methodologies that guide HMI developers in ensuring safe and effective interaction with CCAM systems.

Job Requirements

The Department of Industrial Design of the TU/e is looking to hire a candidate with expertise in Human-Computer Interaction and Cognitive Psychology, and strong motivation to work in the domain of Human Factors of automated driving. The candidate should have (and will develop further in this project) strong professional and communication skills to work together with partners in a multi-national and multi-disciplinary research team. The following lists additional requirements.

• Completed a Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Transportation, or a related field.
• Experience with empirical research methods, experimental design, and statistical analysis of data.
• Familiarity with simulation environments, virtual reality, and/or driving simulators is a plus.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary and international teams.
• Desire to share gathered knowledge with society through peer-reviewed journal publications.
• Willingness to practice the principles of open science, keep code open source, and share all (anonymised) data.
• Excellent communication skills, including a fluent command of English (C1 level). Knowledge of Dutch is welcomed, but not strictly required.

Conditions of Employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you: 
• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment. 
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 2,901 max. € 3,707).  
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%. 
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process. 
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.  
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs. 
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager, dr. Pavlo Bazilinskyy, assistant professor, [email protected].

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact [email protected].

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
• Portfolio of past IT/HTI projects with links to source code (when possible).
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.

The deadline to apply is 27 May 2025. The intended starting date for this position is October 2025 (negotiable).

We do not accept applications sent by e-mail or incomplete ones.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.