Goodbye to Parking Anxiety: An Empirical Study on the Usability of Automatic Parking Assist Systems

Abstract: Parking continues to pose a considerable challenge for novice drivers, particularly within complex urban settings. As vehicle automation technologies advance rapidly, Automatic Parking Assist (APA) systems have become increasingly prominent and valuable features in contemporary vehicles. Despite their growing prevalence, empirical research on the user experience of APA systems remains scarce, and a systematic evaluation framework has not yet been fully established. To address this gap, the present study conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the usability and performance of APA systems in three mainstream sport utility vehicle (SUV) models available in the Chinese market: the Avatr 11, AITO M5, and Trumpchi Emkoo. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating heuristic evaluation with objective performance testing. Specifically, two performance metrics were collected, including parking time and the number of steering corrections, in order to assess the systems across three common parking scenarios. The usability issues identified through heuristic evaluation were categorized into four dimensions: functionality, interactivity, sensory experience, and emotional response. These dimensions served as the basis for analyzing the frequency and characteristics of usability problems and for informing future design improvements. Additionally, a user journey map was constructed to represent the operational flow of APA usage. Finally, targeted design recommendations are proposed to enhance system satisfaction. These insights contribute to the refinement of APA systems and offer a practical framework for future research on intelligent vehicle-human interaction.

Keywords: Autonomous Driving, Usability Engineering, Interface Design, User Experience, Heuristic Evaluation

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007016

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