729 research outputs found
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Need for Revised Total Eyes-Off-Road Criterion in the NHTSA Distraction Guidelines: Track Radio-Tuning Data
No full textThis study re-analyzes participant-level glance data from a NHTSAsponsored test track study of nine radio-tuning tasks in five radios. NHTSA stated that in its judgment, all nine tasks met the definition of traditional manual radio tuning, and so collapsed the data across all participants to estimate an 85th percentile. NHTSA further stated that it combined that track percentile with the 85th percentile from a radio-tuning task in a separate simulator study, to set its total-eyes-off-road time (TEORT) acceptance criterion. Given NHTSA’s statements, individual radio-tuning tasks should, in general, meet the criteria created from them. This study performed such an analysis, and found that this expectation was not met. Four out of nine radio-tuning tasks did not meet the criterion. One problem is that NHTSA did not allow for variability in its 85th percentile estimate. Additionally, TEORT values were higher in the simulator than track for the same task with age-matched data, meaning that if the track tasks had been run in the simulator then the 85th percentile TEORT may have been higher. These issues illustrate the need for revising the criteria based on an improved analysis of the data that NHTSA used to set those criteria. Without doing so, many commonly-accepted secondary tasks (including manual radio tuning in many vehicles) would not meet the current NHTSA Guidelines glance criteria. Revised criteria should be derived in a way that would provide the needed consistency with age-balance requirements of task-acceptability testing, as well as allowing robustness for variability in the percentile estimates
Driver Sleepiness Assessed by Electroencephalography - Different Methods Applied to One Single Data Set
No full textAn overview of several methods of electroencephalography (EEG) analysis in order to assess driver sleepiness is presented. All methods were applied to one single data set obtained from overnight driving simulations in our lab. 10 young adults (age 22.4 ± 4.1 years) participated and drove on rural roads; time on task was 7 x 40 min and time since sleep ranged between 16 and 22 hours. Results show large inter-individual variability of all variables and moderate correlation coefficients to one subjective and one objective independent variable of driver drowsiness. Only one method, the detection of microsleep-like EEG patterns, provides a variable with strong increases immediately before sleepiness related crashes. It is concluded that EEG analysis should attach more importance to shortterm patterns and should renounce the analysis of spectral power in four bands
Predicting Secondary Task Involvement and Differences in Task Modality Using Field Highway Driving Data
No full textThis study examined differences in the impact of visual-manual and auditory-vocal based radio tuning tasks on field driving performance. Engagement in visual-manual tuning tasks were associated with higher steering wheel reversal rates than baseline driving. Both visual-manual and auditory-vocal based tuning tasks were associated with higher variances in speed maintenance compared to baseline driving. Models were built to utilize driving performance measurements as input to a classifier that aimed to distinguish between the three states (i.e., baseline driving, visual-manual tuning, and auditory-vocal tuning). Baseline driving could be classified from visual-manual tuning at an accuracy of over 99% and from auditory-vocal based tuning at an accuracy of 93.3%. Models could differentiate between the modalities at an accuracy of 75.2 % and between the three classes at an accuracy of 81.2%. Results suggest that changes in driving performance associated with visual-manual based tuning are statistically distinguishable from auditory-vocal based tuning. While not being free of visualmanual demand, tasks that involve auditory-vocal interactions appear to differ from visual-manual in how they impact driving performance
Driving While Reading Using Google Glass Versus Using a Smartphone: Which is More Distracting to Driving Performance?
No full textUsing a phone while driving leads to distraction and impaired driving performance. When reading text on a phone, the act of looking away from the road could cause driving impairment. Wearable displays like Google Glass might reduce the visual impairment caused by looking away, even if they do not overcome other factors contributing to impaired driving. However, such devices could also increase impairment by giving drivers the mistaken impression that they can pay attention to both the display and the road simultaneously or impair visual processing by superimposing visual information in the driving scenes. We compared driving performance in a simulated naturalistic driving task while drivers read text on Google Glass or on a smartphone. As expected, reading on Google Glass and the smartphone both impaired driving performance by increasing lane variations, but drivers using Google Glass showed less lane variation compared to smartphone users. To the extent that these metrics reflect better driving performance, Google Glass might somewhat reduce the costs of reading text while driving. Keywords: Driver distraction; Tactical vehicle control; Google Glass; Cellphon
Engaging with Highly Automated Driving: To be or Not to be in the Loop?
No full textThis desktop driving simulator study investigated the effect of engagement in a reading task during vehicle automation on drivers’ ability to resume manual control and successfully avoid an impending collision with a stationary vehicle. To avoid collision, drivers were required to regain control of the automated vehicle and change lane. The decision-making element of this lane change was manipulated by asking drivers to move into the lane they saw fit (left or right) or to use the colour of the stationary vehicle as a rule (blue – left, red – right). Drivers’ reaction to the stationary vehicle in manual control was compared to two automation conditions: (i) when drivers were engaged and observing the road during automation, and (ii) when they were reading a piece of text on an iPad during automation. Overall, findings suggest that drivers experiencing automation were slower to identify the potential collision scenario, but once identified, the collision was evaded more erratically and at a faster pace than when drivers were in manual control of the vehicle. Short (1-minute) periods of automation used in this study did not appear to impede drivers’ ability to complete simple operational and tactical-level driving tasks, following a system initiated take-over request. Results suggest that until there is an effective strategy to help drivers regain situation awareness during the resumption of control from Highly Automated Driving, they should be encouraged to remain in the driving loop
Agreement Between Physician Rating and On-Road Decision for Drivers with Multiple Sclerosis
No full textThe recommendation of the referring physician is paramount in the decision making process of fitness to drive for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). This medical advice is carefully considered by fitness to drive officials when making a final decision. In this study, we sought to determine the reliability between physician recommendation and decision of the on-road assessor in 95 individuals with MS. The percentage agreement (po) and prevalence and bias adjusted kappa (PABAK) were used as measures of reliability. The on-road assessor found no concerns on the road in 87 (92%) of the individuals; 6 (6%) exhibited difficulties on the road that were of concern; and 2 (2%) were advised to discontinue driving based on the findings of the road test. The po between referring physician and on-road assessor was 83%. The PABAK showed a reliability coefficient of 0.76 (p < 0.0001). No differences were found in po between neurologists (83%) and general practitioners (88%, Fisher’s Exact = 0.56). Binocular acuity correlated significantly with the on-road driving decision (Spearman = -0.30; p = 0.004). We conclude that, in this sample of drivers with MS, physicians were most of the time accurate in their appraisal of their patients’ driving capabilities
Emotion Tracking for Health, Memory, and Well-Being
No full textIn this talk I will describe novel systems that allow users to reflect upon their moods and learn positive coping strategies for dealing with stress and depression. I will also describe systems and applications that perform mood detection in real time using mobile and wearable technology. We are exploring novel user interface applications to help users reflect upon and manage their affective experiences. Many questions remain from our work, in terms of how useful a system like this would be over the long term and how valuable a personalized, mobile, awareness system is. Finally, we feel that there is a huge opportunity in the remote familial space, or in a close social network, where knowing about the emotional health of separated loved ones or close friends comes in to play. These new research areas are also tightly coupled with privacy issues. A few examples of applications in these new areas will be presented
Traffic Sign Detection and Identification
No full textPrevious studies using eye-trackers have suggested that drivers can extract information from traffic signs and markings without fixating them. The first study reported here examined the angle of gaze away from signs that enables sign detection: detection conspicuity angle. A second study examined the angle of gaze away from signs that enables identification of the signs’ messages: identification conspicuity angle. Because conspicuity is viewed as a product of the properties of objects and their surrounding environment, both studies manipulated the background of the signs. Detection conspicuity was sensitive to the background environment, particularly for regulatory signs, for which detection conspicuity was reduced with light-colored or cluttered backgrounds. Background environment had little measureable effect on sign message identification. It is recommended that sign backgrounds be considered when locating signs, and that if the background does not provide adequate contrast, conspicuity enhancement strategies should be considered
A Coaching Program for Recently Licensed Young Drivers in the Netherlands: Which Drivers are Attracted?
No full textIn line with European developments, a Dutch second phase coaching program was developed for young novice drivers to counteract their high accident risk. In this paper the design principles of the program are described. The empirical study focused on the entry characteristics of the participating young drivers (n=3117) as compared to a reference group of young drivers (n=345). Results show that the DX program attracted young drivers that in some respects showed a more risky profile than average young drivers in terms of speed violations, anger and the number of fines. In addition, four groups of participants with sharply differing driving styles could be distinguished
Assessing Text Reading and Text Entry while Driving Using the Visual Occlusion Technique
No full textThis study estimated the time drivers spend completing text reading and text entry tasks of varying difficulty levels using visual occlusion to mimic the timesharing between driving and interacting with text. The findings showed that text entry took longer than text reading and task time increased with longer text length. In the occlusion condition, the total task time with vision unoccluded was shorter than the task time in the static condition, although this finding was not consistent across reading and entry. Ambient text (irrelevant text surrounding the text of interest) had no effect on time on task. These results should be considered in light of the acceptable limits for time on task and can inform the design of invehicle systems that require text reading or entry