Familiarization with a Forward Collision Warning on driving simulator: cost and benefit on driversystem interactions and trust

International audienceIntroducing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) into the vehicle could improve drivers’ comfort and reduce road crashes. However, suitable methods are required to study driver/system interactions. In fact, ADAS generate critical use cases, i.e. situations where alarms, or absence of alarms, can be negative for safety. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of getting familiar, by means of a driving simulator, with critical situations when using the Forward Collision Warning system (FCW). We hypothesized that experiencing the system’s function in critical situations would improve drivers’ performance and their trust in the FCW. We compared judgments and driving performance of three independent groups: a “control group” where drivers did not use the FCW, an “unfamiliarized group” where drivers used the FCW without having been familiarized with the system, and a “familiarized group” where drivers used the FCW after having been familiarized. Results showed that familiarization made driver/system interactions more effective and safer. Moreover, familiarized drivers rated the system more positively than unfamiliarized drivers. However, familiarization decreased drivers’ self-confidence and did not prevent from haste when overtaking slow vehicles. We discussed the relevance of using a driving simulator in FCW’s studies and the possibility to transfer skills and knowledge to field operational tests. Finally, we proposed possible improvements to make the familiarization with the system still more effective.Introduire des systèmes avancés d’aide au conducteur dans le véhicule pourrait augmenter le confort des conducteurs et réduire le nombre d’accidents. Toutefois, des méthodes d’évaluations adaptées sont nécessaires à l’étude des interactions conducteur/système. Les systèmes d’aide génèrent effectivement des cas d’usage critiques, i.e. des situations ou les alertes, ou l’absence d’alertes, peuvent être négatives pour la sécurité. L’objectif de la recherche était d’évaluer l’impact de la familiarisation avec les cas critiques d’usage du Forward Collision Warning (FCW) sur simulateur de conduite. Nous avons testé l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’expérience du fonctionnement du FCW dans des situations critiques d’usage augmente la performance de conduite et la confiance des conducteurs dans le système. Nous avons comparé les jugements et la performance de conduite de trois groupes expérimentaux : un groupe contrôle où les conducteurs n’utilisaient pas le FCW, un groupe « non familiarisé » où les conducteurs utilisaient le système sans avoir été familiarisés et un groupe « familiarisé » où les conducteurs utilisaient le système après avoir été familiarisés. Les résultats montrent que la familiarisation rend les interactions conducteur/système plus efficaces et plus sûres. Par ailleurs, les conducteurs familiarisés ont des opinions plus positives sur le FCW comparé aux non familiarisés. Néanmoins, la familiarisation diminue la confiance des participants dans leur capacité de conduite. De plus, elle ne permet pas d’éviter que les conducteurs dépassent de façon trop précipitée les véhicules lents. Nous discutons la pertinence du simulateur pour l’étude du FCW et la possibilité de transfert des connaissances à la conduite sur route réelle. Finalement, nous proposons des améliorations pour rendre la familiarisation avec le système plus efficace

Familiarization with a Forward Collision Warning on driving simulator: cost and benefit on driversystem interactions and trust

Introducing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) into the vehicle could improve drivers’ comfort and reduce road crashes. However, suitable methods are required to study driver/system interactions. In fact, ADAS generate critical use cases, i.e. situations where alarms, or absence of alarms, can be negative for safety. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of getting familiar, by means of a driving simulator, with critical situations when using the Forward Collision Warning system (FCW). We hypothesized that experiencing the system’s function in critical situations would improve drivers’ performance and their trust in the FCW. We compared judgments and driving performance of three independent groups: a “control group” where drivers did not use the FCW, an “unfamiliarized group” where drivers used the FCW without having been familiarized with the system, and a “familiarized group” where drivers used the FCW after having been familiarized. Results showed that familiarization made driver/system interactions more effective and safer. Moreover, familiarized drivers rated the system more positively than unfamiliarized drivers. However, familiarization decreased drivers’ self-confidence and did not prevent from haste when overtaking slow vehicles. We discussed the relevance of using a driving simulator in FCW’s studies and the possibility to transfer skills and knowledge to field operational tests. Finally, we proposed possible improvements to make the familiarization with the system still more effective.Introduire des systèmes avancés d’aide au conducteur dans le véhicule pourrait augmenter le confort des conducteurs et réduire le nombre d’accidents. Toutefois, des méthodes d’évaluations adaptées sont nécessaires à l’étude des interactions conducteur/système. Les systèmes d’aide génèrent effectivement des cas d’usage critiques, i.e. des situations ou les alertes, ou l’absence d’alertes, peuvent être négatives pour la sécurité. L’objectif de la recherche était d’évaluer l’impact de la familiarisation avec les cas critiques d’usage du Forward Collision Warning (FCW) sur simulateur de conduite. Nous avons testé l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’expérience du fonctionnement du FCW dans des situations critiques d’usage augmente la performance de conduite et la confiance des conducteurs dans le système. Nous avons comparé les jugements et la performance de conduite de trois groupes expérimentaux : un groupe contrôle où les conducteurs n’utilisaient pas le FCW, un groupe « non familiarisé » où les conducteurs utilisaient le système sans avoir été familiarisés et un groupe « familiarisé » où les conducteurs utilisaient le système après avoir été familiarisés. Les résultats montrent que la familiarisation rend les interactions conducteur/système plus efficaces et plus sûres. Par ailleurs, les conducteurs familiarisés ont des opinions plus positives sur le FCW comparé aux non familiarisés. Néanmoins, la familiarisation diminue la confiance des participants dans leur capacité de conduite. De plus, elle ne permet pas d’éviter que les conducteurs dépassent de façon trop précipitée les véhicules lents. Nous discutons la pertinence du simulateur pour l’étude du FCW et la possibilité de transfert des connaissances à la conduite sur route réelle. Finalement, nous proposons des améliorations pour rendre la familiarisation avec le système plus efficace

Use of change blindness to measure different abilities to detect relevant changes in natural driving scenes

Drivers have to focus their attention on a danger to become aware of it. Change blindness paradigms are therefore relevant to studying the ability to detect danger. However, research has not yet focused on the role of two essential factors in guiding drivers’ attention: driving experience and the specific needs for performing a manoeuvre. Based on a previous analysis of real accident situations, we used a one-shot paradigm with static scenes to test observers’ ability to detect various changes as a function of their driving experience, the manoeuvre envisaged and the environmental context. The results showed that change detection depends greatly on driving experience when planning to cross a junction or to turn left, while it depends more on the environmental setting and task complexity when seeking a direction. The results were not conclusive, however, in explaining how drivers failed to notice that the vehicle ahead of them was turning when they considered an overtaking manoeuvre. We discuss the contributions of our research in relation to the possibilities of using change blindness as a measurement tool in studies on automobile driving

Effect of driver's distraction on gaze behaviour, mental workload and takeover quality

Driving Simulation Conference Europe 2021 VR, MUNICH, ALLEMAGNE, 14-/09/2021 - 17/09/2021International audienceWith the advent of highly automated cars (SAE level 3), new uses are emerging. The driver can delegate the control of the vehicle to an automation system and may engage in non-driving activities. As a consequence, the driver may withdraw not only from the physical control of the vehicle but also from the monitoring of the driving environment. In this study, we examined the impact of non-driving activity on gaze data, cardiac data and the quality of takeover. We collected 66 trials in an autonomous driving simulator (SAE level 3) in two mental workload conditions induced by two distinct task-difficulty levels. The results showed an effect of the non-driving task difficulty on mental workload measured with the NASA-TLX but not on cardiac data. Visual strategies were also influenced by the difficulty levels but not by the quality of the takeover. However, the orientation of gaze at the time of takeover request appeared to determine the quality of takeover , with better performance observed for driver looking at the road scene compared to distracted drivers

Impact of the driver's visual engagement and situation awareness on takeover quality

7th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention (DDI2021), LYON, FRANCE, 18-/10/2021 - 20/10/2021In Driving, drivers must develop and maintain a good situation awareness [3, 5]. Situation awareness (SA) involves processing the available visual information (SA level 1: perception), developing an understanding of the situation (SA level 2: comprehension) and anticipating the future states of the environment (SA level 3: projection). However, the updating of SA may be discontinuous. According to Rockwell (1988) [6] drivers tend to not spend more than two seconds without taking information about the environment. When it comes to automated driving, especially when a non-driving task is allowed, Rockwell's 2-second rule does not apply. In level 3 automated vehicles (SAE level), Zeeb et al. (2015) [7] reported that the participants looked at the central console without interruption from 2s to 55 seconds during non-driving activities, which can significantly impair and SA. In addition, many studies highlighted a deterioration of take-over quality when performing a Non-Driving Task (NDT) [1, 2, 4, 8]. In the context of the development of the level 3 automated vehicles, it is essential to understand the extent to which a loss of SA can bedetrimental, especially in the event of a critical takeover request

Assessing position of in-car display with Detection Response Task

6th International Conference on Driver Distraction and Inattention, GOTHENBURG, SUEDE, 15-/10/2018 - 17/10/2018The present study aimed at investigating how visual demand is increased by the display position, using two visual versions of the DRT (Detection Response Task). Three visuo-manual tasks involving different levels of visual demand were compared using a display installed in two positions