Driver’s Visual Input Processing of Information Displayed on the Windshield

Abstract

Heads-up displays (HUDs) that present information on the windshields of vehicles have increasingly attracted attention. However, the process by which information is obtained from HUDs while driving remains unclear; this includes the critical parameters that determine how the input process is performed. Therefore, it is necessary to identify critical parameters and explore visual information processing to enhance the user-friendly design of HUDs. In this study, we focused on differences in the projection method between the virtual image and the real image as a critical parameter of the input process. We used eye tracking to evaluate the time taken for the input process, namely the process of shifting gaze from the environment to the HUD image. The results showed that the real image had shorter input processing time than the virtual image when the display distance was short. Moreover, processing time became shorter as the display distance increased in the virtual image display, while there was no such change in the real image display. This suggests that the input process has at least two critical parameters, namely the display distance and the ease of spatial orientation.