Managing driver attention in tomorrow's vehicles

As the degree of driver assistance and automation in vehicles increases, the role of the driver, and the way they interact and communicate with the vehicle and driving environment is changing. The aim of this PhD project is to understand how drivers interact with such systems, what they understand about the operation of the technologies, and in particular, how the HMI of such in-vehicle technologies can be best used to inform drivers, focusing on the type and placement of new interfaces for future vehicle cabs. Research has shown that the addition of driver assistance systems can remove drivers' link to the moment to moment aspects of the vehicle's control loop, reducing their physical engagement and connection with vehicle controls, such as pedals and steering wheel, when compared to manual driving1. As the operation of the vehicle by drivers changes (which is the case for SAE Level 1+ vehicles), the role of the information provided by the HMI of such technologies becomes ever more important. However, despite the addition of a plethora of new assistive technologies over the past 10-15 years, there has been very little change to the interior cab and dashboard area of vehicles for the past 50+ years.

This PhD will investigate the link between the information, warning and assistance provided by a range of current in-vehicle HMI for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and how they affect drivers' safety and their engagement with the driving task, focusing on the effect of HMI messages/ placement on psychological factors such as driver workload, inattention, situation awareness, comfort and trust.