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Comparing Performance when Using a New Style Large Touchscreen Compared to a Traditional In-Vehicle Touchscreen
Get PDFNew in-vehicle touch screen displays are increasing in size and complexity, and the effect on distraction to the driver associated with their use is unclear. Large touchscreen displays, such as those in the Tesla, provide a richer display environment as well as a larger area compared to traditional in-vehicle touchscreens even when the same capabilities are available. This simulator study examines how performing the same tasks on two different types on in-vehicle displays impacts glance behavior, vehicle control and workload. Results show that the large touchscreen results in longer average glance lengths, a greater percentage of glances of more than 2-seconds, but fewer glances. For vehicle control, there were no differences in lateral control, but the large touchscreen showed less variability in speed and speed range overall, but not uniformly across the tasks. Drivers did not report different levels of workload between the two interfaces. The results point to the need for careful design to minimize the likelihood of long glances as vehicle design moves to larger displays
Task Analysis for Measuring Mobility and Recovery Following Right-Sided TKA: Toward Determining Driver Readiness
Get PDFFollowing a right-sided total knee arthroplasty (TKA), standard clinical recommendations for patients is to refrain from driving for 6 weeks. Clinical assessments of recovery include mobility tests but do not specifically assess fitness to drive. As a first step in assessment of driver readiness, this study aimed to compare vehicle entry behaviors and mobility assessments between TKA patients and healthy controls. 18 participants (9 TKA participants) completed three in-laboratory visits where they completed mobility tests and entered a full-cab car. Videos of vehicle entry were reviewed and annotated for time—timed vehicle entry (TVE)—and to categorize entry mode. TVE was significantly slower for TKA participants before surgery and 3 weeks after the procedure (p \u3c 0.05) but not 6 weeks after (p \u3c 0.05). TVE was positively correlated with timed up and go (TUG, r = 0.65, p \u3c 0.05) and negatively correlated with right knee range of motion (ROM, r = -0.5, p \u3c 0.05). Range of motion was not significantly different across entry modes between TKA participants and controls. This study was not conclusive to the utility of TVE to replace ROM and TUG for driver readiness; however, this work demonstrated the use of a real-world task that is related to driving for providing patient recovery and behavioral information
The Effect of a Concussion on the Hazard Anticipation Ability in Teen Drivers
Get PDFDriving after a brain injury is controversial. Since diagnosing a concussion and tracking the healing trend is challenging, whether or not a patient is fit-to-drive after the injury is open to interpretation. The primary purpose of the present research was to investigate the effect of a concussion on teen drivers’ hazard anticipation skill. Twenty-four participants were recruited for this study in two groups: the concussed teen driver group and the non-concussed teen driver group. They were asked to wear an eye-tracker and drive with a driving simulator. The drive included several scenarios with potential latent hazards. While driving, the participants were expected to scan the latent hazards with their eyes and fixate at the hazardous area. The results show significant differences (p \u3c 0.05) in the hazard anticipation skills between the two groups on two primary aspects: 1). The concussed group showed more random eye movements while the non-concussed participants had more deliberate eye fixations with less distractions and saccadic jumping. 2) The concussed patients showed a significantly poorer performance in anticipating the potential hazards. In conclusion, results indicate concussions can affect the hazard prediction skills of the teens, which in turn makes the driving task riskier for this group of drivers
Eye Contact between Pedestrians and Drivers
Get PDFWhen asked a great number of people believe that, as pedestrians, they make eye contact with the driver of an approaching vehicle when making their crossing decisions. This work presents evidence that this widely held belief is false. We do so by showing that, in majority of cases where conflict is possible, pedestrians begin crossing long before they are able to see the driver through the windshield. In other words, we are able to circumvent the very difficult question of whether pedestrians choose to make eye contact with drivers, by showing that whether they think they do or not, they can’t. Specifically, we show that over 90% of people in representative lighting conditions cannot determine the gaze of the driver at 15m and see the driver at all at 30m. This means that, for example, that given the common city speed limit of 25mph, more than 99% of pedestrians would have begun crossing before being able to see either the driver or the driver’s gaze. In other words, from the perspective of the pedestrian, in most situations involving an approaching vehicle, the crossing decision is made by the pedestrian solely based on the kinematics of the vehicle without needing to determine that eye contact was made by explicitly detecting the eyes of the driver
The Conspicuity Benefits of Bicycle Taillights in Daylight
Get PDFBicyclists risk being injured or killed in crashes with motor vehicles, even during the daytime. Therefore, cyclists must help approaching drivers detect and recognize their presence. The present study examined the conspicuity benefits of bicycle taillights during the daytime. Participants’ eye movements were recorded as they searched for vulnerable road users in videos recorded from a driver’s perspective in a moving vehicle. Five of the videos contained a bicyclist who displayed one of five taillight configurations. The distance from which each participant first glanced at the bicyclist was recorded, as was the distance from which the participant pressed a button to indicate that a bicyclist was present. The results indicated that the participants first fixated on the bicyclist at a distance that was 2.7 times greater than the distance at which they responded to recognizing the bicyclist. Additionally, the bicyclist was recognized from significantly greater distances when using a flashing or steady seat post-mounted taillight than when no taillight was displayed. These findings confirm earlier research that bicycle taillights can enhance drivers’ ability to recognize bicyclists during daylight
Assessment of Severity Measures used to Predict Prognostic Outcomes in Children with TBI: A Case Report
Get PDFBackground: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the number one cause of death and disabilities in the pediatric population. Various injury severity measures are used for patients with TBIs in order to predict expected outcomes. The purpose of this case report is to assess the stark differences in progression and functional outcomes of two children with TBIs who presented similarly at baseline using various severity measures. Case Descriptions: Both patients were admitted into inpatient rehabilitation on the same day and presented similarly at baseline: with Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) scores of 19 and 18 for Patients A and B, respectively. Yet, they progressed differently during their time in rehab. Patient A was a 53-month-old female who suffered from a left-sided subdural hematoma with blown pupil on her left side and a right-sided skull fracture as a result of a non-accidental trauma. Patient B was a 45-month- old female who had a right-sided subdural hematoma, multifactorial intracranial hemorrhage, pneumocephalus with multiple skull fractures and facial fractures, small left pneumothorax, and a transverse process fracture of the second lumbar vertebrae as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Outcome Measure: The raw WeeFIM scores were used to calculate each patient’s WeeFIM developmental functional quotient (DFQ). At discharge, the WeeFIM DFQ score for Patient A was 71.87% but only 18.81% for Patient B. The severity measures outlined in this case report include the time from injury to admission into inpatient rehabilitation (TTA), the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), duration of post traumatic amnesia (PTA), total duration of impaired consciousness (TFC+PTA), and the time to follow command (TFC). Discussion: This case report highlights that the severity measures that were available for each patient would have helped create more accurate predictions for each patient’s functional outcomes than simply the WeeFIM score. These predictions are useful when creating treatment plans and educating families on expected outcomes
Using Biofeedback as a Treatment Tool when Managing Whiplash Associated Disorder Symptoms During Pregnancy
Get PDFBackground: Whiplash associated disorder (WAD) affects up to 980,000 people in the United States and typically occurs from motor vehicle accidents. Case Description: A 37-year-old female displayed whiplash affective disorder symptoms after being rear-ended in a car accident. She was 9 weeks pregnant and had pain in her low back, upper back, and neck. She had impaired muscle control and activation, which caused a muscle imbalance of overactivity in the upper trapezius, lumbar paraspinals, and iliopsoas. A treatment plan was constructed to correct motor/postural deficits secondary to whiplash symptoms. Examination: The patient demonstrated muscle increased tone at the bilateral upper trapezius and lumbar paraspinals with palpable trigger points. Postural deficits included forward head and anterior pelvic tilt with lordosis and a pivot point at the L5 vertebrae. Intervention: The patient was prescribed a progressive comprehensive physical therapy plan of care including neuromuscular re-education exercises designed for lumbar stabilization and restoring scapulohumeral rhythm. She also received manual therapy services in order to apply soft tissue mobilization to the upper trapezius. She continually required verbal/tactile cues until biofeedback was prescribed. Discussion: Although the patient likely benefited from the entire treatment program; the biofeedback intervention demonstrated acute improvements with reducing overactivation of the bilateral upper trapezius with shoulder exercises. This treatment was particularly valuable in this case considering both its efficacy in correcting movement impairments and being safe during pregnancy. Further research is required to investigate the efficacy of surface EMG in treating WAD symptoms for both acute and long-term outcomes
Total Knee Arthroplasty Prehabilitation: Clinical Decisions related to Bony Malalignment, Neurologic Complexities, and Getting to Know a Patient
Get PDFBackground: The benefits of pre-operative habilitation or “prehabilitation” for total knee arthroplasty outcomes have been documented and researched over the last twenty years. However, the majority of these studies do not describe prehabilitation programs for patients with complex neurologic comorbidities. Purpose: The purpose of this case report is to describe clinical decisions made during the course of a prehabilitation program for a patient with a cerebellar disorder and bony malformation at her knee. Case Description: The patient was diagnosed with excessive tibial torsion when she was 60 years old and a year later diagnosed with uterine cancer and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. The patient currently shows significant genu valgum at her right lower extremity and ambulates using a four wheeled walker, bilateral knee braces donned, and has an ataxic gait. Her goals for therapy are to improve her strength as she anticipates having a total knee arthroplasty, improve her balance, and stay active. Outcome Measures: Timed Up and Go (TUG), Berg Balance Scale, Dynamometer, as well as mass of weights lifted were used as outcome measures. Discussion: Low-load, high repetition and open kinetic chain movements were optimal means of strengthening for this particular patient, addressing both bony malformation and neurologic deficits. Additionally, the patient’s Timed Up and Go and Berg Balance Scale showed meaningful changes, possibly in part because the patient had good afferent signaling, but also because of the large amounts of time the patient dedicated to rehabilitation