Facing Diversity When Designing and Evaluating Driver Support Systems

Abstract

An increasing amount of computing technology is being integrated into vehicles in the form of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and in-vehicle information systems. For the cars to become fully automated, these driver support systems must be able to handle the diversity of individual drivers and driving situations. Consequently, the focus of research should be on design of adaptive and cooperative systems. It should, particularly, focus on developing an integrated driver–vehicle interface instead of individual functions. The safety and comfort benefits of each driver support system need to be thoroughly evaluated to minimize unsafe behavior. As an example of such an evaluation, this chapter describes a study concerning the design of minimally distractive control devices for an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system. It is designed to support the primary task of driving. However, adjusting the settings should not lead to driver distraction. Therefore, two driver–vehicle interface concepts for an ACC system are designed and tested in a fixed-base driving simulator. Adjusting both settings at once has the most detrimental effect on driving performance and visual distraction. Dividing the controls between the steering wheel and dashboard also increases visual distraction. The results are used to derive recommendations for the design of minimally distractive driver–vehicle interfaces. The chapter also discusses the future of the driver support systems.