Response Braking Research Articles

On the association between intention and visual word identification.

One of the most fundamental distinctions in cognitive psychology is between processing that is "controlled" and processing that is "automatic." The widely held automatic processing account of visual word identification asserts that, among other characteristics, the presentation of a well-formed letter string triggers sublexical, lexical, and semantic activation in the absence of any intention to do so. Instead, the role of intention is seen as independent of stimulus identification and as restricted to selection for action using the products of identification (e.g., braking in response to a sign saying "BRIDGE OUT"). We consider four paradigms with respect to the role of an intention-defined here as a "task set" indicating how to perform in the current situation-when identifying single well-formed letter strings. Contrary to the received automaticity view, the literature regarding each of these paradigms demonstrates that the relation between an intention and stimulus identification is constrained in multiple ways, many of which are not well understood at present. One thing is clear: There is no simple relation between an intention, in the form of a task set, and stimulus identification. Automatic processing of words, if this indeed ever occurs, certainly is not a system default. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Can Three-Dimensional Multiple Object Tracking Training Be Used to Improve Simulated Driving Performance? A Pilot Study in Young and Older Adults

Driving ability has been shown to be dependent on perceptual-cognitive abilities such as visual attention and speed of processing. There is mixed evidence suggesting that training these abilities may improve aspects of driving performance. This preliminary study investigated the feasibility of training three-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT)—a dynamic, speeded tracking task soliciting selective, sustained and divided attention as well as speed of processing—to improve measures of simulated driving performance in older and younger adults. A sample of 20 young adults (23–33 years old) and 14 older adults (65–76 years old) were randomly assigned to either a 3D-MOT training group or an active control group trained on a perceptual discrimination task as well as 2048. Participants were tested on a driving scenario with skill-testing events previously identified as optimal for cross-sectional comparisons of driving ability. Results replicated previously identified differences in driving behaviour between age groups. A possible trend was observed for the 3D-MOT trained group, especially younger adults, to increase the distance at which they applied their maximum amount of braking in response to dangerous events. This measure was associated with less extreme braking during events, implying that these drivers may have been making more controlled stops. Limitations of sample size and task realism notwithstanding, the present experiment offers preliminary evidence that 3D-MOT training might transfer to driving performance through quicker detection of or reaction to dangerous events and provides a rationale for replication with a larger sample size.

Electro-hydraulic braking dynamics for pressure demand control of brake-by-wire system

Brake-by-wire system for self-driving vehicles requires hydraulic pressure response of the master cylinder to be quick in the braking process, making its long-term precision paramount. This is particularly challenging for braking in response to the command of virtual driver instead of the real driver, for which the hydraulic pressure is nonlinear with the electric motor’s torque. While much of the research on brake-by-wire has focused on improving energy regeneration and vehicle stability, comparatively little is known about the braking pressure control of self-driving vehicles. Therefore, we develop a novel architecture of the electro-hydraulic brake-by-wire adopting ball screw for the self-driving, in which there is a quadratic-polynomial relationship between the position of the electric motor and the brake pressure of the master cylinder. The brake-by-wire dynamics model is built by the speed of the electric motor and the brake pressure of the master cylinder, and a sliding mode control law is designed based on the pressure demand of the master cylinder. Here we discuss a series of studies on electro-hydraulic braking dynamics that, collectively, design a pressure demand control approach of how the sliding mode controller operates the master cylinder pressure by the electric motor torque. Testing and analyzing the designed approach embedded into the braking control unit is applied to a vehicle test bench brake-by-wire to fully realize the accurate pressure tracking of the electro-hydraulic brake-by-wire system.

Wheel Slide Protection System for Rolling Stock Capable of More Effective Adhesion by Using Statistical Technique

The brake systems used in current railways utilize the tangential force (so called the adhesion force) acting upon rails and wheels for reducing speed. The tangential force is affected by conditions such as climate, contact surfaces of rails and wheels. It is difficult to keep the braking performance in the lower tangential force conditions which can frequently cause wheel slides. The wheel slide protection system (WSP) is one of the useful approaches used in many vehicles. However, existing WSPs control the braking forces based on the information induced only from rotational speed of the wheels. They do not optimally perform braking in response to the frequently changed tangential force. In this study, we propose the use of the value equivalent to the tangential force, which are estimated by using brake cylinder pressures during wheel slides. In addition, we propose a method which extracts the statistic feature about the tangential force from many braking test data. Furthermore, we set out a new WSP which can decide the action based on the effectiveness and the statistic feature about the tangential force. We carried out bench tests and the results of the test show the proposed WSP can keep higher deceleration than existent ones.

INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF DISTANCE BETWEEN CARS ON THE DRIVER PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY DURING BRAKING USING EEG: A CASE STUDY ON DRIVING IN INDONESIA

The multiple crashes in Indonesia are categorized into a frequently occurring accident, which often causes death. The aim of this paper is to examine the driver psychophysiology during braking in response to the vehicle in the front, which is varied. The research was initiated with a literature review regarding the electrooculography (EEG), safe braking distance, Emotive Epoc+, and Central Nervous System (CNS). The research was initiated with a literature review regarding the Electroencephalography (EEG), safe braking distance, Emotive Epoc+, and Central Nervous System (CNS). Research design with direct driving experiments on the road is used to analyze what happens to the driver's brain when braking at a certain distance (psychophysiology factor). The collected sampling data are from 4 male healthy drivers with the age between 20 - 40 years and average driving experience of more than 5 years. The measurement of brain activities into a spectrum of colors and Emotive BCI 16 electrodes through the performance matrices was conducted for the existing condition and condition suitable with the safety distance permitted. Experiments have been tested in 4 different road conditions of residential road (speed <30Km/h), city road (speed <50Km/h), rural road (speed <80Km/h) and motorway (speed <100Km/h). Safety distance measurement used standard data with residences road = 10m, city road = 29m, rural road 73m, and motorways = 115m. Results of brainwave signal have been recorded by Emotive Epoc Brain Activity map and Emotive BCI matrix and have been used to analyse the driver’s psychophysical. The findings show that the level of stress in the existing condition is very wherein for the braking in the densely populated residence = 87, urban areas = 83, intercity = 76, and motorways = 60. In contrast, following the safety distance rules have successfully reduced mental stress to average 47 as proofed by lower beta signal especially on occipital lobe (vision function) and on frontal lobe (attention function). Improper infrastructure such as narrow road at heavy residential damaged driver relaxes and increased stress level as indicated by increasing brain signal significantly. Meanwhile, driving while concerning the safety braking distance psychophysiologically through the identification of brain activity will be able to lower the driver’s stress and fatigue level.

Emergency braking performance of motorcycle riders: skill identification in a real-life perception-action task designed for training purposes

Collisions with other vehicles represent the biggest threat to riders of powered-two-wheeler (PTW), and while emergency braking is the evasive manoeuvre most frequently required in PTW riding, many riders fail to perform it adequately due to constraints on response time precipitated by failures of perception, cognition and control actions. Effective rider training methods are necessary for the development of braking proficiency in response to emergency situations.This study proposes a testing and training paradigm that exploits a closer similitude with the real-world scenario by maintaining the natural coupling of action (vehicle manoeuvring) and perception (higher order skill) that underlies any coordinated response to an emergency event. The aim of this study was to understand the behaviour of the riders in the execution of emergency braking coupled with visual perception of vehicle motion as a response to an imminent collision and determine parameters that can be used to identify differences in skill level.Participants performed emergency braking trials in a realistic and controlled scenario using a mock-up of an intersection conflict with a real car initiating a left turn manoeuvre across the path of a PTW approaching from the opposite direction (Left Turn Across Path/Opposite Directions). Analysis of the deceleration patterns recorded during 12 trials per participant revealed that performance of braking in response to an unpredicted moving hazard differs from that in a planned self-timed hard braking. In addition, our results indicate that PTW rider performance may be assessed in a reliable and objective way using the combination of vehicle kinematics and human performance measures. The study identified four categories of riders classified by their level skills. Finally, an important finding was the lack of correlation of both years of riding experience and self-assessed overall riding skill with an objective measure of emergency braking performance such as effective deceleration. The results of this study will support a new training approach and provide insights for future design of active safety systems.

Driver Hazard Detection and Avoidance Performance as a Function of Eyes-Off-Road Interval Under Partially Automated Driving

There has been concern that automation may impair a person’s ability to detect and appropriately respond to environmental hazards. This study sought to examine a driver’s ability to not only detect hazards, but also to implement appropriate responses following extended Eyes-Off-Road (EOR) intervals. Thirty-six drivers were exposed to a series of filmed roadway vignettes with discernible hazards embedded within a range of traffic situations. Driver’s visual gaze was directed “off-road” for 2, 7 or 20 seconds, and then re-oriented to the roadway. Drivers were tasked to respond appropriately as quickly as possible once their gaze returned to the forward road scene by steering and/or braking in response to the hazards. Results found no significant differences among the EOR intervals in terms of the driver’s ability to detect and appropriately respond to the hazard when it emerged after the driver’s eyes were directed forward.

The relationship between cell phone use and management of driver fatigue: It's complicated

Introduction: Voice communication may enhance performance during monotonous, potentially fatiguing driving conditions (Atchley & Chan, 2011); however, it is unclear whether safety benefits of conversation are outweighed by costs. The present study tested whether personalized conversations intended to simulate hands-free cell phone conversation may counter objective and subjective fatigue effects elicited by vehicle automation. Method: A passive fatigue state (Desmond & Hancock, 2001), characterized by disengagement from the task, was induced using full vehicle automation prior to drivers resuming full control over the driving simulator. A conversation was initiated shortly after reversion to manual control. During the conversation an emergency event occurred. Results: The fatigue manipulation produced greater task disengagement and slower response to the emergency event, relative to a control condition. Conversation did not mitigate passive fatigue effects; rather, it added worry about matters unrelated to the driving task. Conversation moderately improved vehicle control, as measured by SDLP, but it failed to counter fatigue-induced slowing of braking in response to an emergency event. Finally, conversation appeared to have a hidden danger in that it reduced drivers' insights into performance impairments when in a state of passive fatigue. Conclusions: Automation induced passive fatigue, indicated by loss of task engagement; yet, simulated cell phone conversation did not counter the subjective automation-induced fatigue. Conversation also failed to counter objective loss of performance (slower braking speed) resulting from automation. Cell phone conversation in passive fatigue states may impair drivers' awareness of their performance deficits. Practical applications: Results suggest that conversation, even using a hands-free device, may not be a safe way to reduce fatigue and increase alertness during transitions from automated to manual vehicle control.

Motorcyclist perception response time in stopping sight distance situations

One of the most effective engineering measures is the provision of an exclusive motorcycle lane that separates motorcycles from other mixed traffic to reduce traffic congestion and motorcycle crashes. Even though the existing exclusive motorcycle lanes in Malaysia reduced the incidents of motorcycle crashes with other vehicles, the design of this special motorcycle lane was based on a cross reference between a bicycle track and a highway. Thus, a suitable design guide is yet to be developed for the geometrical design of a proper and safer exclusive motorcycle lane. Safe stopping sight distance (SSD) has been recognized as a criterion for road design and should be taken into account. Motorcyclist perception response time (PRT) is the time from detection object until the rider reduces motorcycle speed in braking action is an essential component of motorcycle SSD. Two road experiments were conducted to obtain empirical values of motorcycle PRT to expected and unexpected objects. In the expected condition, 89 motorcyclists applied brake as quickly as possible following activation of a light beside the road. In the unexpected condition, 16 riders responded by braking in response to an obstacle that appeared suddenly in their lane. The mean PRT to expected and unexpected object is 0.71 s and 1.25 s respectively. The 85th percentile PRT to unexpected object is 2.12 s. This study found that most riders are capable of responding to an unexpected object along the roadway in 2.5 s or less. Therefore, PRT of 2.5 s is an appropriate value for motorcycle lane geometric design.

Energy and Emission Benefit Comparison of Stationary and In-Vehicle Advanced Driving Alert Systems

Automobiles powered by fossil fuels are one of the major contributors to both criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas—in particular, carbon dioxide (CO2)—emissions. Previous studies revealed that unnecessary acceleration and hard braking in response to sudden changes of traffic signals may cause a significant amount of wasted energy and increased emissions. Altering the behavior of drivers approaching signalized intersections potentially could reduce energy consumption and emissions from motor vehicles without increasing travel time or delay. Two types of advanced driving alert systems (ADAS) are proposed: stationary ADAS [based on roadside infrastructure, such as changeable message signs (CMSs)] and in-vehicle ADAS [driven by advanced communication technology, such as vehicle-infrastructure integration (VII)]. These systems can help drivers avoid hard braking at intersections by providing real-time information on traffic signal status. A state-of-the-art modal emissions model is used to evaluate and compare the effects of these two types of ADAS on the reduction of vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. A numerical analysis of a single vehicle shows that ADAS can help reduce vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 40% in the tested hypothetical conditions. The benefits of these systems are further investigated in a traffic simulation environment with various levels of congestion and posted speed limits. The simulation results reveal that both CMS-based ADAS and VII-driven ADAS can provide fuel and CO2 savings; VII ADAS offer greater savings in most cases.

Modeling Driver Behavior by Using Mind’s Eye Coordinates

Concepts are presented that are suitable for use in modeling and understanding the driving process. Attention is focused on modeling driver control of forward speed and the range gap between vehicles. The structure of the model is based on psychological concepts associated with knowledge-, rule-, and skill-based behavior. The model uses variables representing features of the forward scene as projected onto the driver’s retina. These variables are referred to as mind’s eye coordinates. For example, driver perceptual motor skills, as used for increasing or decreasing speed, are expressed by variables associated with looming effects for moving and stationary objects as well as streaming effects associated with passing nearby stationary objects. Inequalities expressed in terms of mind’s eye coordinates are used in the model to identify signs that indicate to the driver which control rule to choose in various driving situations. The driving situations include closing on a slower-moving vehicle, following a preceding vehicle, braking in response to preceding vehicle deceleration, and accelerating. Examples show how the model works and compare its predicted results with measured manual driving performance in situations involving the control of the range gap to a preceding vehicle. Conceptual reasoning employing combined physical and psychological concepts is used to address issues associated with model validation.