Mark S. Young

Drive-by-wire : The case of driver workload and reclaiming control with adaptive cruise control

Vehicle automation is highly likely to be in service by the end of this century. Whilst there are undoubtedly some benefits associated with such systems, there are some concerns also. This paper presents work in progress on the Southampton Driver Simulator on driver workload and the drivers ability to reclaim control from the Adaptive Cruise Control system in a malignant scenario. Previous studies suggest that there may be some cause for concern. This study shows a reduction in mental workload, within a secondary task paradigm, associated with operating Adaptive Cruise Control. This finding is contrary to previous research into Adaptive Cruise Control. Further, in line with other research, this study shows that a third of the participants were unsuccessful in reclaiming control of the vehicle before a collision occurred. We suggest that more research and development effort needs to be spent on looking at the communication between Adaptive Cruise Control and the driver.

Taking the load off: investigations of how adaptive cruise control affects mental workload

It has been posited that Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) represents a new generation of vehicle automation, in that it has the potential to relieve drivers of mental as well as physical workload. The results of previous research however, have raised some confusing issues about the specific effects of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on driver mental workload (MWL)—some studies report reduced MWL compared to manual driving, while others find no effect. Two hypotheses are proposed in an attempt to explain these discrepancies: (a) that any potential MWL reductions due to ACC could be masked by the overriding influence of steering demand; or (b) that the tasks designed in some experiments do not exploit the adaptive nature of the ACC system, therefore precluding any potential benefits. Two related experiments were designed to test these hypotheses. It was found that the main reason for the discrepant findings was the nature of the driving task chosen—constant-speed tasks do not realise the mental workload benefits of ACC. Future researchers using ACC devices are advised to use variable-speed tasks to ensure that all aspects of device functionality are covered.

Is utility in the mind of the beholder? A study of ergonomics methods

This paper reviews the use of ergonomics methods in the context of usability of consumer products. A review of the literature indicated that there is upward of 60 methods available to the ergonomist. The results of the survey indicated that questionnaires, interviews and observation are the most frequently reported methods used. Ease of use of the methods was dependent upon type of method used, presence of software support and type of training received. Strong links were found between questionnaires and interviews as a combined approach, as well as with HTA and observation. However, a questionnaire survey of professional ergonomists found that none of the respondents had any documented evidence of the reliability and validity of the methods they were using. A study of training people to use ergonomics methods indicated the different requirements of the approaches, in terms of training time, application time and subjective preferences. An important goal for future research is to establish the reliability and validity of ergonomics methods.

Human Factors Models for Aviation Accident Analysis and Prevention

The investigation and modelling of aviation accident causation is dominated by linear models. Aviation is, however, a complex system and as such suffers from being artificially manipulated into non-complex models and methods. This book addresses this issue by developing a new approach to investigating aviation accident causation through information networks. These networks centralise communication and the flow of information as key indicators of a systems health and risk. This holistic approach focuses on the system environment, the activity that takes place within it, the strategies used to conduct this activity, the way in which the constituent parts of the system (both human and non-human) interact and the behaviour required. Each stage of this book identifies and expands upon the potential of the information network approach, maintaining firm focus on the overall health of a system. The books new model offers many potential developments and some key areas are studied in this research. Through the centralisation of barriers and information nodes the method can be applied to almost any situation. The application of Bayesian mathematics to historical data populations provides scope for studying error migration and barrier manipulation. The book also provides application of these predictions to a flight simulator study for the purposes of validation. Beyond this it also discusses the applicability of the approach to industry. Through working with a legacy airline the methods discussed are used as the basis for a new and prospective safety management system.

The Role of Mental Models in using Adaptive Cruise Control

The research project reported in this paper considers a range of psychological factors that are likely to impinge on the correct operation of an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system by drivers. It was proposed that mental models would play an important role in the drivers situational awareness of ACC operation. Over a hundred drivers were assessed on a battery of psychological measures, the data from which were interpreted through structural equation modelling techniques. The resultant analysis showed driver stress, locus of control, mental workload and trust played an important role in developing situational awareness.

How Network Enabled Capability Changes the Emergent Properties of Military Command and Control

EAST (Event Analysis for Systemic Teamwork) is an integrated methods approach that can be used to describe systems level ‘emergent properties’ that arise from complex socio-technical systems. This paper reports on the application of the method to a military command and control scenario. The focus is on the technical and structural determinates of the emergent property of Systemic Situation Awareness (SSA) in cases where Networked Enabled Capability (NEC) is largely absent (e.g. the military domain) compared to examples in which it is present (e.g. the civilian domain).