Klaus-Josef Bengler

Acting together by mutual control: Evaluation of a multimodal interaction concept for cooperative driving

This paper presents a study on the evaluation of a proposed interaction concept for cooperative driving in a lane-change scenario. First, cooperative driving is set into the context of human-machine cooperation. Second, for designing the system, the interaction between driver and car is established (based on mutual control), and the cooperation among different vehicles is elaborated. A timing sequence is presented for both. The corresponding multimodal user interface is introduced. The interface focuses on augmented reality via the contact analogue head-up display. During its design phase, certain mode aspects and design patterns are considered in order to improve the cooperation. Third, the implementation is outlined. Fourth, the evaluation is presented discussing the within-subjects experiment with 25 participants by means of three aspects: user interface quality, interaction timing and workload measurement, as a basis for user state inference. We obtained evidence that the proposed interaction concept improves cooperative behavior and increases safety. We furthermore verified a U-shaped relation between workload and performance by using a variety of different metrics. In a fifth step, future iterations are depicted.

The Impact of an Anticipatory Eco-Driver Assistant System in Different Complex Driving Situations on the Driver Behavior

The anticipatory advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) developed at the Institute of Ergonomics at the TU München assists to reduce the individual fuel consumption of each driver by anticipating earlier. The goal is to achieve improvements in as many road situations as possible. The paper gives an overview on the different options to support the driver to reduce its fuel consumption. It also discusses the possibilities of an extension of anticipation to support the driver in eco-driving. Related work shows that anticipatory advanced driver assistance systems help to save fuel, but they focus on the general potentials of the system. The presented study in this paper, however, deals with the question of the impact of different road traffic situations on an anticipatory driver assistance system. Different traffic scenarios were chosen and varied in its complexity to evaluate the impact of the complexity of different driving situations on an anticipatory ADAS. A driving simulator study was conducted with 27 participants. The results showed that the fuel consumption is reduced with the assistant system due to earlier and better reaction but that there is no influence of the complexity of a situation on that. The influence of the situation on the driver in his use of the ADAS can be shown by his visual behavior. The percentage of the gaze time on the human machine interface (HMI) on the system is significantly reduced in the more complex situations.

A Roland for an Oliver? Subjective perception of cooperation during conditionally automated driving

Cooperative driving, as observed during lane-change scenarios, reminds one of the saying “a Roland for an Oliver”, also known as quid pro quo: being offered a gap for moving in needs someone offering it in the left lane. This article investigates the subjectively perceived differences of cooperative behavior from the perspective of driving in the left and in the right lane. We design and use a questionnaire in a driving simulator study. As predictor variables, we modify timing and success of the lane-change. Cooperation is measured in the aspects satisfaction, relaxation, and accordance. The results show differences in the performance: Subjects perceive a successful lane-change as more cooperative than an unsuccessful one. The findings furthermore reveal the asymmetric perception: The right lane perspective is experienced more cooperative than the left lane perspective. Modifications in timing or success furthermore lead to a lower level of trust. An exploratory factor analysis of the questionnaires results furthermore suggests two hidden factors intrinsic and extrinsic contribution to cooperation. Several lane-change situations are analyzed by means of the two factors.

Studying the driving performance of drivers with children aboard by means of a framework for flexible experiment configuration

Traveling with children in tow can pose a serious distraction to the driver, effectively drawing much of the necessary attention away from the road and causing a disruption in normal driving patterns. In this paper we investigate the drivers capacity to operate a vehicle safely when being exposed to a noise stimulus, specifically in the form of a crying baby for an extended period of time. For this purpose, we developed a tailored driving simulator framework to efficiently configure new experiments, built on modular components to make it easier to upgrade and update the experiment scenario and overall conditions. We then compared the driving behavior of parents to individuals without children focusing particularly on the affects on driving performance when a sudden event occurred on the road. We aim to study driving patterns under stressful conditions such as having children as occupants in the vehicle to be able to classify drivers for background training purposes regarding in-vehicle behavior. Results have shown the tendencies of parents when having a baby in the vehicle to produce better driving performances.