Research Title: Development of Adaptive Human-Machine Interface Technology to Support Passenger Trust in Urban Air Mobility

Sponsor

• NRF (National Research Foundation of Korea) 

Participating Institutions

• Gyeongsang National University, Yonsei University

Research Period

• Total Period: 2023. 06. 01 - 2026. 05. 31

• Participation Period: 2024. 06. 01 - Present

Role

• Practical Manager (Contribution: 70%)     * PI: Prof. Youngwoo Kim

• Conducted as a Ph.D. researcher at Yonsei University

Keywords

• Urban Air Mobility, Trust in Automation

Research Goal

• The goal of this research is to develop interfaces that enhance passenger trust in pilotless autonomous aerial mobility environments. In particular, the study aims to examine when and how information should be provided to passengers in order to maximize the effectiveness of trust-enhancing interfaces. 

Research Introduction

 This research aims to develop interfaces that enhance passenger trust in pilotless autonomous aerial mobility environments.

Previous studies on trust-enhancing interfaces, particularly information delivery strategies, have largely focused on Autonomous Vehicles.

However, little work has been done in future mobility contexts such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), where public acceptance is expected to be even lower. To address this gap, we designed experimental scenarios that include challenging events likely to undermine trust, such as sudden gusts of wind, fog, and potential bird-strike risks. Unity-based virtual reality simulations allow participants to experience these events and evaluate different interface strategies in real time.

The goal is to examine how passengers’ trust levels change dynamically during such events and to assess how our interface designs support trust recovery and resilience. Findings from this study will provide insights for designing passenger-centered interfaces that promote safe and acceptable adoption of autonomous aerial mobility.

Research Achievements

• Journal

  • Jongwoo Park, Siyoung Kim, & Young Woo Kim. (2025). "real time trust..." (In Preparation) 

• Conference

  • Jongwoo Park, Siyoung Kim, & Young Woo Kim. (2025). A Study on the Effects of Flight Information Provision Timing and Type on Passenger Trust in Urban Air Mobility. 2025 Annual Spring Conference Ergonomics Society of Korea, 112-113. (Jeju, Korea) - Poster [PDF] 

  • Park, J., Kim, S., & Kim, Y. W. (2025, September). When and how to explain: Designing human–machine interfaces for pilotless urban air mobility. In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications (pp. xx–xx). ACM. (Brisbane, Australia) - Video Session [PDF] 

  • Jongwoo Park, Siyoung Kim, & Young Woo Kim. (2025). Effects of Information Timing and Type on Passenger Trust in Urban Air Mobility(UAM): A VR-Based Experimental Design. 2025 Annual Spring Conference Ergonomics Society of Korea, 112-113. (Gumi-si, Korea) - Poster [PDF]