Evaluation of collision avoidance prototype head-up display interface for older drivers

Spatial and situational awareness could be decreased significantly under low visibility and adverse weather conditions. This could affect exponentially the reactions of the older drivers and increase dramatically their collision probability. To this end we developed a novel Head-Up Display interface that aims to reinstate the drivers’ vision which is predominantly hindered under these conditions. In particular the proposed interface entails symbolic representations of the lead vehicles and crucial road information, which effectively enhances driver’s vision. The proposed system was evaluated through a comparative study against the typical instrumentation panel. The evaluation results were overall in favour of the prototype interface which improved significantly the reaction times of the older drivers and decreased the collision occurrences

Automotive Holographic Head-Up Displays.

Funder: Foundation of German BusinessDriver's access to information about navigation and vehicle data through in-car displays and personal devices distract the driver from safe vehicle management. The discrepancy between road safety and infotainment must be addressed to develop safely-operated modern vehicles. Head-up Displays (HUDs) aim to introduce a seamless uptake of visual information for the driver while securely operating a vehicle. HUDs projected on the windshield provide the driver with visual navigation and vehicle data within the comfort of the driver's personal eye box through a customizable extended display space. Windshield HUDs does not require the driver to shift the gaze away from the road to attain road information. This article presents a review of technological advances and future perspectives in holographic HUDs by analyzing the optoelectronics devices and the user experience of the driver. The review elucidates holographic displays and full augmented reality (AR) in 3D with depth perception when projecting the visual information on the road within the driver's gaze. Design factors, functionality and the integration of personalized machine learning (ML) technologies into holographic HUDs are discussed. Application examples of the display technologies regarding road safety and security are presented. An outlook is provided to reflect on display trends and autonomous driving. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Naturalness framework for driver-car interaction

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonAutomobile dashboards are evolving into intelligent largely screen-based computer interfaces. Recent evidence suggests unnatural aspects of some secondary systems (including infotainment systems). Naturalness of interaction is a minority discipline not yet applied to the automobile; while automotive interface research is a mainly quantitative discipline that has not yet applied a naturalness approach. To advance the field, a measurement scale based on rigorous qualitative exploration of natural-feeling interaction with secondary controls was required. Study 1 used ethnographic interview with Contextual Inquiry inside 12 ordinary drivers’ cars, to investigate natural-feeling aspects of past, present and future driver-car interactions. Thematic analysis suggested a framework of ten characteristics. Half concerned control and physicality; half concerned perceived socio-intelligent behaviours of the car. Study 2 involved intensive exploratory workshops with ten drivers comprising Think Aloud, artefact modelling and focus groups, to explore natural-feeling interaction with secondary controls in different ways. The resulting thematic framework comprised 11 characteristics in four categories: familiarity/control, physical connection, low visual/cognitive demand, and humanlike intelligence and communication. Study 3 comprised two ethnographic participant observations. Eight drivers were observed interacting with their controls during long road journeys. Twenty-two drivers were observed interacting verbally with futuristic ‘intelligent’ secondary systems while driving on public roads. Design guidelines relating to physicality, usability, automation, and humanlike communication were formulated. Study 4 converted all the qualitative findings into a questionnaire comprising 46 bipolar five-point scales. Eighty-one drivers used it to rate one control in their cars. Correlation and factor analyses revealed three underlying factors and 14 items suitable for the first industrially applicable measurement scale for driver-car naturalness. These items concern perceived helpfulness, politeness, competence, predictability, control, ease, mental demands, intuitiveness, ‘realness’, instantaneousness, communication, logical location, mapping and 'affordance'. Initial testing found acceptable validity. The conclusion recommends further data collection, expanded validity testing, and potential applications to self-driving cars