In-car machine-human interaction: How the new vehicle technologies which respond to the vehicles needs could match with the user-centered approach and contribute to shape a user-centered design approach

Although it is not always possible to derive from statistics the causes of an accident, data clearly show that they are mostly due to a lack of driver's perception, with high social costs for society (direct and not). Therefore, a strong integration among all the actors involved (that is the drivers, the vehicle or technical system in general and the environment) is really necessary. From first years of 80's, there has been a shift in system concept design, moving from a technological approach towards a human centred design approach (Norman e Draper 1986; Rouse 1991; Sheridan 1992). Under this point of view, it is necessary to take into account on one side the user's needs in the design process of a certain system, and on the other side also the "machine needs". Thus, this paper aims at presenting such types of needs as well as the mutual interaction between machine and users and both with the surrounding environment.