Following the successful evaluation of the joint funding application, the EVEREST project is now officially getting underway. To this end, all consortium partners met on 12–13 May 2026 at the premises of the coordinator, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, in Vienna to kick off the three-year project in terms of both organisation and content.

The EU-funded EVEREST project aims to develop innovative, user-oriented and cost-effective solutions for the thermal and energy management of battery electric vehicles and to demonstrate these using three test vehicles. The WIVW is primarily contributing to the investigation of the acceptance of innovative thermal concepts, such as infrared panels, and individual comfort zones.

Technology advancements and new regulations serve as demand drivers for consideration of Human Factors (HF) aspects in the automotive regulation context. WIVW offers the best-fitted test approach for your needs!

Based on Regulations (EU) 2021/1341 and 2023/2590, we conduct user tests supporting the homologation of DDAW (Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning) and ADDW (Advanced Driver Distraction Warning) systems based on standardized test protocols on public roads, test tracks and in the driving simulator.

In addition, WIVW supports you in fulfilling DCAS Regulation R171 (Driver Control Assistance Systems) by providing Human-Factors expertise across the full development cycle. Our services are modular and scalable, allowing us to prioritize either rapid assessment or high-validity testing depending on your development phase and budget. We offer early-stage user studies via driving simulation, expert checklist-based evaluations, and rigorous HMI readiness testing in real vehicles on public roads or test tracks.

Please contact us for further information and for a tailored offer!

The WIVW will present the research findings that were developed as part of the STADT:up project in collaboration with CARIAD, at the STADT:up final event on 10–11 June 2026 at the Aldenhoven Testing Center. The research findings are based on three driving simulator studies conducted at WIVW in 2024/25. These studies focused on developing and evaluating an HMI solution for highly automated driving in urban traffic. We also investigated the framework conditions necessary for successful cooperation between the vehicle and the user. You can find out more about the event and register for it on this page here.

Is the minimalist cockpit hitting a dead end?

The WIVW will be represented at this year’s SKZ Symposium on "Plastic Films in Mobility" . Under the title "Return to Haptics?", WIVW will examine the tension between new Euro NCAP requirements and increasing vehicle automation.

The trend toward the "smartphone replica" in cars is reaching its limits. Starting in 2026, Euro NCAP will reward the return to physical controls for safety-relevant functions. But how can this be reconciled with modern design standards? WIVW will discuss how adaptive controls and intelligent surfaces reduce cognitive load while simultaneously opening up new design possibilities.

How can drivers be quickly and safely brought back to an alert state after a short nap?

This question is becoming increasingly important as automated driving functions advance. While future vehicle systems could allow drivers to sleep temporarily, a critical phase arises during the transition back to active driving: so-called sleep inertia. This is a temporary state of reduced alertness and cognitive performance immediately after waking up—a potential safety risk in road traffic.

In the talk entitled “Sleeping during automated driving: The potential of an image-based reaction-time game to mitigate sleep inertia” at the HFES Europe Conference in Copenhagen, the WIVW presented a newly developed strategy against sleep inertia. The goal of this approach is to specifically activate drivers after a short nap and quickly improve their reaction time and mood.

The game is based on the so-called SILAB Secondary Task Software Package and has already been evaluated in an initial driving simulator study. The results show promising potential: participants were able to regain their alertness more quickly, which forms the basis for further optimizations and future applications.

The research was conducted as part of the SALSA project and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The study thus makes an important contribution to the safe design of the transition between automated and manual driving—a crucial building block for the mobility of tomorrow

From 14 to 16 April, leading experts in automotive safety gathered in Frankfurt/Hanau for this year’s Safety Week. The event provided a platform for interdisciplinary exchange across the entire mobility chain – from industry and research to regulation and assessment.

The WIVW contributed with a specialist presentation on the topic of “Managing Complex ADAS – User Perspectives & Challenges to Proving Regulatory Compliance”. The focus was on a key challenge facing modern advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS): how can safety and regulatory compliance be ensured when system complexity is constantly increasing?

The presentation explored the inherent conflict between increasing system complexity and the practical challenges of validating safety. Increasing automation (L2–L4) necessitates not only higher functional performance but also a shift toward more transparent and rigorous assessment methodologies to ensure regulatory compliance.

The core themes of the presentation—specifically the tension between technological progress and the demonstrability of safety—were central throughout the entire event. These topics fueled a continuous, high-level technical exchange involving representatives from leading automotive manufacturers (OEMs), suppliers, research institutions, regulatory bodies, insurance companies, and Euro NCAP.

Together, concrete strategies to address the rising demands for safety and compliance within an increasingly complex system landscape were explored. This year’s Safety Week once again underscored that close, cross-industry cooperation is the essential foundation for developing viable solutions and ensuring the safe introduction of future vehicle generations.