In a recent entry, I talked about the role of training for automated vehicle aids.
In a study published in 2017 in collaboration with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah, I investigated driver interaction with in-vehicle infotainment systems, which are those systems that allow drivers to, e.g., make phone calls or send text messages without using mobile devices.
One of the most striking findings from that study was that, although technology like touchscreens and voice interaction systems have been around for many years, they are still challenging to use, at least for some groups of drivers.
Issues that we found with this touchscreens included relatively low responsiveness, cluttered menu designs, and long interaction times. In certain cases, for examples, primary functions were buried deep in menus or the design of the menu made frequently-used features almost invisible to the driver.
For voice technology, certain systems were overly verbose, and, as a result, imposed large memory load and required long interaction times.
One possible solution to this problem is using off-the-shelf systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which, in a later research, were shown to burden driver’s attentional resources to a lesser degree.
Another possible solution is to encourage drivers to familiarize themselves with this technology when the vehicle is stationary. which may help them find and utilize frequently-used functions more quickly and efficiently.
References
https://aaafoundation.org/visual-cognitive-demands-using-vehicle-information-systems/
https://aaafoundation.org/visual-cognitive-demands-apples-carplay-googles-android-auto-oem-infotainment-systems/
