The Intersection of Voice Assistants and Autonomous Vehicles: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Voice assistants are increasingly popular in autonomous vehicles, with over one-third of United States drivers using them. However, more knowledge is needed for future technology advancements. A scoping review was conducted to understand factors that may impact the use of in-vehicle voice assistants. The PRISMA method identified relevant articles across three databases (Engineering Village, OneSearch, and IEEE Explore), resulting in 35 articles meeting the criteria. The paper explores three areas of intersection between autonomous vehicles and voice assistants: user interactions, user experience, and accessibility. These areas cover subthemes of tone, gender, anthropomorphism, trust, privacy and security, situation awareness, and visual inclusiveness. Results show differences in individual preferences and an understanding of how voice assistants can integrate seamlessly to meet drivers’ needs and expectations. The findings of this study provide insights into the user experiences of voice assistants (VAs) in today’s vehicles and the factors that impact their usage, which will help improve future in-vehicle systems to become more inclusive.