In-Vehicle Navigation Systems: Interface Characteristics and Industry Trends

A review and inventory of in-vehicle navigation systems was conducted in order to better understand the current state of practice and trends relating to their design and implementation. The review focused on human factors characteristics and interface features using accepted human factors practices, principles, and guidelines as a basis for assessing likely impacts on driver distraction. The inventory examined market-ready in-vehicle products, and identified a range of interface design features, noting aspects and dimensions that have implications for potential driver distraction. Results indicated that devices tend to incorporate a large number of features and options, making it a potential challenge for drivers to learn all of the capabilities of a system and resulting in lengthy manuals. Although devices also tended to provide large amounts of information, some designs may allow for increased information presentation without necessarily sacrificing performance. Warnings or cautions against interacting with systems while driving were common; however, relatively few systems disable equipment when vehicles are in operation

The tactile sense as a mechanism for the reduction of visual load elicited by control interactions : an automotive case study approach to the development of generic design recommendations

This thesis examines the potential for using tactile feedback to reduce the visual load that can be associated with interacting with controls. Using the automotive context as a case study, the thesis describes the process followed in the design of a prototype tactile interface (PTI) for the control of in-car secondary functionality (navigation, entertainment and climate control). There have been many examples of the use of active and passive tactile feedback to provide information to visually impaired people. There is however a paucity of previous research into the field of tactile feedback in mainstream product design. A literature review was performed examining various issues that are associated with tactile design including cognitive processing of tactile inputs, the use oftactile feedback in products used by visually impaired people and standard control design recommendations. This was followed by the generation of initial concepts and the first study, which examined how visually impaired people interact with electronic products that are unfamiliar to them, and also examined how they used their own equipment. The results from this study, and the literature review findings were combined into a series of design recommendations for the production of tactile interfaces that aim to reduce the visual load on the driver. These design recommendations were the basis for an iterative design process that resulted in the first, non functioning PTI interface model. The first PTI was constructed using rapid prototype technologies. The first iteration PTI was examined in the second study, a user trial in a driving simulator. The study produced encouraging results with a >90% success rate for correct control selection without vision, whilst performing a driving task. The results from this study were used to refine the design of the PTI and a working, hi-fidelity prototype was constructed for use in the final study. This study involved 'on the road' user trials comparing the glance durations made to the PTI and to a baseline system using a 'repeated measures' structure. The data from these user trials were examined to determine if the PTI exhibited a reduced visual load when compared to the baseline system. The results showed the PTI fostered significantly reduced summed glance durations for 7 of the 11 tasks performed when compared to the baseline system. Three of the 11 tasks that were performed in the study produced a reduction of summed glance duration of >50%. The PTI was also shown to foster non-visual interaction, with all participants performing at least one control interaction without looking at the control arrays. The tactile coding and symbolic layout of the PTI have been shown to be beneficial in terms of reducing 'eyes off road time' and therefore reducing the risk of distraction related accidents. A review of the results from the three studies described in this thesis has enabled the development of generic design guidelines for the production of tactile interfaces where a reduction in visual load is required for the safety of the operator. The thesis has made a contribution to the understanding of the use of the tactile sense during product interactions, and highlighting the benefits as well as the limitations of the tactile sense as a feedback mechanism

Technical Workshop: Advanced Helicopter Cockpit Design

Information processing demands on both civilian and military aircrews have increased enormously as rotorcraft have come to be used for adverse weather, day/night, and remote area missions. Applied psychology, engineering, or operational research for future helicopter cockpit design criteria were identified. Three areas were addressed: (1) operational requirements, (2) advanced avionics, and (3) man-system integration

Inventory of ATT system requirements for elderly and disabled drivers and travellers

This Inventory of ATT System Requirements for Elderly and Disabled Drivers and Travellers is the product of the TELSCAN project’s Workpackage 3: Identification and Updating of User Requirements of Elderly and Disabled Travellers. It describes the methods and tools used to identify the needs of elderly and disabled (E&D) travellers. The result of this investigation is a summary of the requirements of elderly and disabled travellers using different modes of transport, including private cars, buses/trams, metros/trains, ships and airplanes. It provides a generic user requirements specification which can guide the design of all transport telematics systems. However, it is important to stress that projects should also capture a more detailed definition of user requirements for their specific application area or system

Back seat driver : voice assisted automobile navigation

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1989.Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-165) and index.by James Raymond Davis.Ph.D