# Exploring the Evolution of Autonomous Vehicle Acceptance through Hands-On Demonstrations
## 2 State of the Art
### Autonomous Driving Acceptance  
On one hand, there is the analysis of how humans will interact with autonomous driving technology and the quest to find ways to design systems that optimize this interaction. Therefore, in the field of human factors, researchers are focusing on understanding and enhancing the relationship between humans and autonomous vehicles to improve safety; efficiency; and, of course, the acceptance of this emerging technology.  
There are several works in the literature that analyze the acceptance of autonomous vehicles as well as the lines of research that need to be promoted for their future implementation. Such is the case of [16], where the authors discuss the areas where further research is needed to improve the acceptance of autonomous vehicles. They also emphasize the need for collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to ensure that automated driving technology is safe, effective, and accepted by the public. On the other hand, in [17] an attempt is made to find the key aspects that will generate greater confidence in autonomous vehicles regarding users. In [18], the authors review key studies on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to try to establish the cost (safety, security, and comfort versus dangerous unintended consequences) of autonomous vehicles, a fundamental aspect in the acceptance of autonomous vehicles.  
In the study presented in [19], the research focused on on analyzing studies and surveys related to the public acceptance and perception of autonomous vehicles. Surveys and studies conducted in different countries conclude that public acceptance of this technology is influenced by various factors, encompassing safety, responsibility, regulations, and even  
Figure 1: ATLAS Platform.  
user experience with the technology--so much so that, in the results section, it is noted that approximately 73% of individuals with prior experience with autonomous systems would prefer their use in travel, compared to 55% of respondents without any experience with autonomous vehicles. This suggests that demonstrations with research platforms, such as the one presented in our work, can be useful for gathering more data and, above all, enhancing influence on public acceptance.  
While several papers such as those mentioned above have studied acceptance from a theoretical point of view, only a few have conducted actual tests with an autonomous vehicle platform, and most of them use simulators due to the simplicity of performing a large number of tests and obtaining a large number of data in contrast to a real platform, which is much more difficult to set up. However, field and simulated experiments are not equivalent. There are several differences between the two types of experiments, including safety critical events, driving style, duration for each drive, and trust rating assessment. Additionally, field experiments usually involve driving in real traffic, while the simulator experiment creates controlled experimental conditions [20].  
Among the works with real experiments is [21], whose research aimed to investigate the influences of direct experience with autonomous vehicles on acceptance and its psychological determinants. A field experiment was conducted with some participants who directly experienced riding in a Level 5 AV. The study found that direct experience increased trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use but did not significantly affect behavioral intention to use autonomous vehicles. The study also highlighted the importance of increasing technical reliability, addressing safety concerns, and enhancing public trust in promoting AV acceptance. However, the study is limited to acceptance and does not consider underlying aspects such as the insurance of this type of vehicle or its use as last-mile transport.