<p>In new cars of today there are several electronically controlled systems that seek to aid the driver and make the journey as safe as possible. This include not only systems that directly control the vehicle such as ABS and ESP, but also systems that might make driving easier such as navigation systems, cruise control and even seat adjustments.</p><p>It is important that the effects on the driver from the use of such systems do not lead to an environment that diverts the attention of the driver from the main task, i.e. driving safely.</p><p>In this thesis a possible way of modeling the driver distractedness level due to the operation of these systems is discussed. This is done in Simulink with vehicle CAN data as inputs. An expert field test is done with 6 drivers over 18 trial runs with 31 secondary tasks on a highway. Two criteria are used to measure the distractedness, one objective based on the attributes of an element and one subjective, based on the use of the elements while driving during the trials. A lane monitoring system is evaluated and the offset from the lane center over time is used as an external criteria to the distractedness level. There is however no significant correlation between the external criteria and the subjective distractedness level.</p><p>The results of the subjective distractedness level are used in the model and possible future extensions to it are discussed.</p>

In new cars of today there are several electronically controlled systems that seek to aid the driver and make the journey as safe as possible. This include not only systems that directly control the vehicle such as ABS and ESP, but also systems that might make driving easier such as navigation systems, cruise control and even seat adjustments. It is important that the effects on the driver from the use of such systems do not lead to an environment that diverts the attention of the driver from the main task, i.e. driving safely. In this thesis a possible way of modeling the driver distractedness level due to the operation of these systems is discussed. This is done in Simulink with vehicle CAN data as inputs. An expert field test is done with 6 drivers over 18 trial runs with 31 secondary tasks on a highway. Two criteria are used to measure the distractedness, one objective based on the attributes of an element and one subjective, based on the use of the elements while driving during the trials. A lane monitoring system is evaluated and the offset from the lane center over time is used as an external criteria to the distractedness level. There is however no significant correlation between the external criteria and the subjective distractedness level. The results of the subjective distractedness level are used in the model and possible future extensions to it are discussed.

The demand for in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) has been increasing through the years. There are numerous systems that can be incorporated into vehicles and various ways in which the information can and should be presented to the driver. The way the information is presented to the drivers is extremely important in terms of increasing safety and decreasing driver distraction. The expected outcomes of this research included the development of human factors guidelines for the design and use of in-vehicle information systems. It was a desirable goal to identify the most suitable information presentation formats for certain tasks, since this may influence the drivers' attention and driving performance. This study focused on how the factors of interest may affect drivers' attention and driving performance while performing IVIS secondary tasks related to specific applications. This was accomplished through an on-road within-factors experiment. Sixteen participants performed secondary tasks related to three IVIS applications at two levels of difficulty. The tasks were presented using five types of displays. Data collected from video and in-vehicle sensors were statistically analyzed to determine significant effects between the factors. Driving performance, external reaction time, and perceived mental workload results were compiled into general guidelines for the design and use of IVIS. The findings of this study strongly suggest that visual displays should not be used for the presentation of IVIS. Auditory and multi-modal (i.e. both visual and auditory interface) displays are the most appropriate ways to present IVIS information. A normal speech rate is preferred over a fast speech rate. IVIS tasks should be kept as simple as possible in terms of the number of steps. From the three manipulated factors (type of display, IVIS application, and task level of difficulty), the type of display had the largest number of significant results across the dependent variables measurements. The visual display led to the worst driver performance, while auditory and multi-modal displays yielded significantly better driving performance. / Master of Science

Technological interventions are being considered to alleviate congestion and to improve the quality of driving on our nation's highways. These new technology interventions will be capable of increasing the amount of information provided to the driver; therefore, steps must be taken to ensure they do not require a high attention demand. (Limited attention resources can be diverted from the primary task of driving to a secondary in-vehicle task). The attention demand required as part of the process of extracting information has been studied relatively extensively. However, the processing required to make complex decisions is not well understood and provides cause for concern. This study investigated the attention demand required to perform several types of tasks, such as selecting a route, selecting the cheapest route, and selecting the fastest route. The three objectives of this study were: 1) To investigate driver performance during IVIS tasks that required additional processing of information after the extraction of information from a visual display. 2) To develop a method for evaluating driver performance with regard to safety. This task was accomplished by performing an extensive review of the literature, and developing two composite measures. 3) To provide descriptive data on the proportion of drivers who exceeded a threshold of driver performance for each of the different IVIS tasks. An instrumented vehicle, equipped with cameras and sensors, was used to investigate on-road driver behavior on a four-lane divided road with good visibility. A confederate vehicle was driven in front of the instrumented vehicle to create a vehicle following situation. Thirty-six drivers participated in this study. Age, presentation format, information density, and type of task were the independent variables used in this study. Results from this study indicate that a high proportion of drivers' will have substantially degraded performance performing IVIS tasks such as selecting a route or a hotel from several possibilities. Findings also indicate that tasks involving computations, such as selecting the quickest or cheapest route, require a high attention demand and consequently should not be performed by a driver when the vehicle is in motion. In addition, text-based messages in paragraph format should not be presented to the driver while the vehicle is in motion. The graphic icon format should be utilized for route planning tasks. / Ph. D.

<p>Many information technology artefacts can be found in today’s cars. The interaction with these artefacts is the driver’s secondary task while driving the car in a safe way is the primary task. When designing interfaces for in-vehicle usage, measures have to be taken in order to make the interaction with the artefact suit the in-vehicle environment. One of these measures is to have the appropriate screen density level, which is the amount of information present on the screen.</p><p>This thesis compares the usability of two integrated in-vehicle display prototypes, one with low screen density and one with high screen density. The usability comparison considers both safety and user preferences. Safety was measured by a Lane Change Test (LCT) which measures distraction of a primary task while performing a secondary task, and user preferences was measured with a questionnaire. Before the comparison was made, controls and a graphical user interface were designed.</p><p>Results showed no significant difference in driver distraction between performing tasks on the high screen density display and the low screen density display. However, a vast majority of the users preferred high screen density over low. Furthermore, the distraction levels for both the high and the low screen density displays were below the proposed 0.5 meter limit for allowed driver distraction. The results indicate that in-vehicle displays can have a high level of screen density without imposing a level of distraction on the driver that is unsuitable for driving.</p>

Many information technology artefacts can be found in today’s cars. The interaction with these artefacts is the driver’s secondary task while driving the car in a safe way is the primary task. When designing interfaces for in-vehicle usage, measures have to be taken in order to make the interaction with the artefact suit the in-vehicle environment. One of these measures is to have the appropriate screen density level, which is the amount of information present on the screen. This thesis compares the usability of two integrated in-vehicle display prototypes, one with low screen density and one with high screen density. The usability comparison considers both safety and user preferences. Safety was measured by a Lane Change Test (LCT) which measures distraction of a primary task while performing a secondary task, and user preferences was measured with a questionnaire. Before the comparison was made, controls and a graphical user interface were designed. Results showed no significant difference in driver distraction between performing tasks on the high screen density display and the low screen density display. However, a vast majority of the users preferred high screen density over low. Furthermore, the distraction levels for both the high and the low screen density displays were below the proposed 0.5 meter limit for allowed driver distraction. The results indicate that in-vehicle displays can have a high level of screen density without imposing a level of distraction on the driver that is unsuitable for driving.

This study was performed with two main goals in mind. The first goal was to understand and predict "red-lines" and "yellow-lines" in terms of what the CVO driver can process without hindering the primary task of driving. The second goal was to collect conventional secondary task data for CVO driving performance. An on-the-road experiment was performed with the help of 12 truck drivers. Type of task, presentation format, information density, and age were the independent variables used in the experiment. The 22 dependent measures collected were grouped into the following categories: eye glance measures, longitudinal driving performance, lateral driving performance, secondary task performance, and subjective assessment. The findings of this study strongly suggest that paragraphs should not be used under any circumstance to present information to the driver while the vehicle is in motion. On the other hand, the Graphics with Icons represent the most appropriate format in which driving instructions and information should be presented for IVIS/CVO tasks. In order to avoid a high visual attention demand to the driver due to a secondary task, only simple search tasks with the most important information shall be presented. Although the suggested format, type of task, and information density represent a higher visual attention demand than a conventional secondary task, these characteristics seem to bind a task with a moderate attentional demand. Other combinations of format, type of task, and information density will cause an increase in the driver's attentional demand that will consequently deteriorate their driving performance causing unsafe driving situations. / Master of Science

The automotive industry plays a significant role in global CO2 emissions. A transition towards electric vehicles is part of the solution to lower CO2 emissions. While electric vehicles are beneficial from an environmental standpoint, it generates new challenges and technology for the driver to adapt to, emphasising the importance of human interaction. A possible solution to affect drivers to adopt new behaviours is using Gamification inIn-vehicle Information Systems. This study implies that drivers do not fully see the potential of regenerative braking to extend the vehicle's range while contributing to safer and more predictable driving. Thus, this thesis explores the implementation of gamification in a vehicle context by using a prototype in a vehicle simulator environment to observe whether it affects driver behaviours to increase regenerative braking usage. This study uses a design study method with a qualitative research approach resulting in a high-fidelity prototype developed through an iterative design process. The prototype mechanics originates from the M-PM-O framework, found through an in-depth literature study. The mechanics are designed into gamification elements using established design principles for In-vehicleInformation Systems. Further, the prototype was evaluated using Volvo Cars vehicle simulators. The results demonstrated that gamification in a vehicle context is possible and that the prototype affected driver behaviours to increase regenerative braking usage. Through the analysis and discussion, four design guidelines emerged for the design of gamification elements in IVIS. However, the study also raises questions regarding the general feasibility of incorporation. Overall, this study opens for further studies regarding gamification's safety and long-term effects in a vehicle context. / Fordonsindustrin spelar en betydande roll i de globala CO2 utsläppen, ochen övergång till elektriska fordon har identifierats som en del av lösningenför att minska utsläppen. Även om elektriska fordon är fördelaktiga ur ettmiljöperspektiv, ställer de nya krav på förare och tekniken i fordon, vilketökar vikten av mänsklig interaktion. För att uppmuntra förare att anta nyabeteenden mer hållbara körbeetenden har spelifiering identifierats som enmöjlig lösning i bilens informationssystem. Studien antyder att bilförare inteser potentialen i regenerativ bromsning för att öka räckvidden i bilensamtidigt som den främjar säkrare och mer förutsägbart körande. Syftet meddenna studien är att utforska spelifiering element i bilensinformationssystem genom att utveckla och testa en prototyp i enbilsimulator för att undersöka om den kan stödja förarbeteenden att ökaregenerativ bromsanvändning. Studien använder sig utav en designstudiemetod med en kvalitativ forskningsansats som resulterar i en högtdetaljerad prototyp utvecklad genom en iterativ designprocess. I endjupgående litteraturstudie identifieras tre spelifiering element som användsi studien. Spelifiering elementen designas med hjälp av etableradedesignprinciper för bilinformationssystem. Vidare utvärderades prototypen i Volvo Cars simulatormiljö. Resultatenindikerade att spelifiering i bilens informationssystem kan stödjaförarbeteenden att öka regenerativ bromsanvändning. Genom analys ochdiskussion uppdagades tre design riktlinjer för designen av spelifieringelement i bilens informationssystem. Överlag, öppnar studien för vidarestudier gällande spelifierings säkerhet och långtidseffekter i en bilkontext.

Design and evaluation of input methods for secondary tasks in dual-task systems presents specific challenges not covered by traditional human-computer interaction design techniques. Emerging trends in the fields of mobile, ubiquitous, and in-vehicle information systems demonstrate a desire for users to interact with information systems while engaging in other tasks. Research on interaction within these various fields has revealed input methods that perform well for a particular task. However, few focus on the tradeoffs of attention that must be made to react to this notification information. A design analysis technique for input methods is proposed focusing on the design objectives of interruption, reaction, and comprehension for the secondary task made at the cost of primary task attention. Through a study conducted using a reusable usability test platform constructed for this thesis, a typical in-vehicle information system is analyzed using the proposed design analysis. Three input methods were designed and compared: a graffiti character recognizer, a touch screen, and a remote control for their proficiency at selecting an item from a list while operating a driving simulator. The results of the study revealed similar task performance between the varied input methods; however, the design analysis enabled recommendations about future design directions, confirming the viability of the technique for notification systems research. / Master of Science

During the last decades the road traffic has increased tremendously leading to congestion, safety issues and increased environmental impacts. As a result, many countries are continuously trying to find improvements and new solutions to solve these issues. One way of improving the traffic conditions is by the use of so called intelligent transport systems, where information and communication technologies are being used for traffic management and control. One such system commonly used for traffic management purposes are variable speed limit systems. These systems are making use of signs to show speed limits adjusted to the prevailing road or traffic conditions. The rapid development in telecommunication technologies has enabled communication between vehicles, and between vehicles and the infrastructure, so called cooperative systems. This opens up for  the possibility to further improve the performance of a standard variable speed limit system by adding cooperative system features. The overall aim of this thesis is to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating infrastructure to vehicle communication and autonomous control to an existing variable speed limit system. We show how such a cooperative variable speed limit system can be modeled and evaluated by the use of microscopic traffic simulation. Results from the evaluation indicate increased flow harmonization in terms of narrowing of the acceleration rate distribution and reduced exhaust emissions. Further, we compare four control algorithms for deciding on speed limits in variable speed limit systems. Differences in the resulting traffic performance between the control algorithms are quantified by the use of microscopic traffic simulation. It is concluded that the dened objective for the algorithms have a decisive influence on the effects of the variable speed limit system. The results from this thesis are useful for further development of variable speed limit systems, both with respect to incorporating cooperative features and by improving the speed setting control algorithms.