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1. Isolating the Effect of Off-Road Glance Duration on Driving Performance: An Exemplar Study Comparing HDD and HUD in Different Driving Scenarios

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208211031416  

   Smith, Missie; Bagalkotkar, Kiran; Gabbard, Joseph L.; Large, David R.; Burnett, Gary (July 2021, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society)

   null (Ed.)

   Objective We controlled participants’ glance behavior while using head-down displays (HDDs) and head-up displays (HUDs) to isolate driving behavioral changes due to use of different display types across different driving environments. Background Recently, HUD technology has been incorporated into vehicles, allowing drivers to, in theory, gather display information without moving their eyes away from the road. Previous studies comparing the impact of HUDs with traditional displays on human performance show differences in both drivers’ visual attention and driving performance. Yet no studies have isolated glance from driving behaviors, which limits our ability to understand the cause of these differences and resulting impact on display design. Method We developed a novel method to control visual attention in a driving simulator. Twenty experienced drivers sustained visual attention to in-vehicle HDDs and HUDs while driving in both a simple straight and empty roadway environment and a more realistic driving environment that included traffic and turns. Results In the realistic environment, but not the simpler environment, we found evidence of differing driving behaviors between display conditions, even though participants’ glance behavior was similar. Conclusion Thus, the assumption that visual attention can be evaluated in the same way for different types of vehicle displays may be inaccurate. Differences between driving environments bring the validity of testing HUDs using simplistic driving environments into question. Application As we move toward the integration of HUD user interfaces into vehicles, it is important that we develop new, sensitive assessment methods to ensure HUD interfaces are indeed safe for driving. 

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2. Joint contributions of preview and task instructions on visual search strategy selection

   https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-024-02870-1  

   Zhang, Tianyu; Irons, Jessica L; Hansen, Heather A; Leber, Andrew B (May 2024, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics)

   Abstract People tend to employ suboptimal attention control strategies during visual search. Here we question why people are suboptimal, specifically investigating how knowledge of the optimal strategies and the time available to apply such strategies affect strategy use. We used the Adaptive Choice Visual Search (ACVS), a task designed to assess attentional control optimality. We used explicit strategy instructions to manipulate explicit strategy knowledge, and we used display previews to manipulate time to apply the strategies. In the first two experiments, the strategy instructions increased optimality. However, the preview manipulation did not significantly boost optimality for participants who did not receive strategy instruction. Finally, in Experiments 3A and 3B, we jointly manipulated preview and instruction with a larger sample size. Preview and instruction both produced significant main effects; furthermore, they interacted significantly, such that the beneficial effect of instructions emerged with greater preview time. Taken together, these results have important implications for understanding the strategic use of attentional control. Individuals with explicit knowledge of the optimal strategy are more likely to exploit relevant information in their visual environment, but only to the extent that they have the time to do so. 

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3. Analytical Longitudinal Speed Planning for CAVs with Previewed Road Geometry and Friction Constraints

   https://doi.org/10.1109/ITSC48978.2021.9564602  

   Gao, Liming; Beal, Craig; Fescenmyer, Daniel; Brennan, Sean (September 2021, 2021 IEEE International Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC))

   Due to the lack of information, current vehicle control systems generally assume that the road friction conditions ahead of a vehicle are unchanged relative to those at the vehicle's current position. This can result in dangerous situations if the friction is suddenly decreasing from the current situation, or overly conservative driving styles if the friction of the current situation is worse than the roadway ahead. However, with connectivity either to other vehicles, infrastructure, or cloud services, future vehicles may have access to upcoming roadway information; this is particularly valuable for planning velocity trajectories that consider the friction and geometry in the road path ahead. This paper introduces a method for planning longitudinal speed profiles for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) that have previewed information about path geometry and friction conditions. The novelty of this approach is to explicitly include consideration of the friction ellipse available along the intended path. The paper derives an analytical solution for certain preview cases that upper-bounds the allowable vehicle velocity profile while preventing departure from the friction ellipse. The results further define the relationship between a lower bound on friction, the path geometry, and minimum friction preview distance. This relationship is used to ensure the vehicle has sufficient time to take action for upcoming hazardous situations. The efficacy of the algorithm is demonstrated through an application case where a vehicle navigates a curving road with changing friction conditions, with results showing that, with sufficient preview, the vehicle could anticipate allowable and stable path keeping speed. 

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4. Post Take-Over Performance Varies in Drivers of Automated and Connected Vehicle Technology in Near-Miss Scenarios

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208231219184  

   Yamani, Yusuke; Glassman, Jeffrey; Alruwaili, Abdalziz; Yahoodik, Sarah_E; Davis, Emily; Lugo, Samantha; Xie, Kun; Ishak, Sherif (December 2023, Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society)

   ObjectiveThis study examined the impact of monitoring instructions when using an automated driving system (ADS) and road obstructions on post take-over performance in near-miss scenarios. BackgroundPast research indicates partial ADS reduces the driver’s situation awareness and degrades post take-over performance. Connected vehicle technology may alert drivers to impending hazards in time to safely avoid near-miss events. MethodForty-eight licensed drivers using ADS were randomly assigned to either the active driving or passive driving condition. Participants navigated eight scenarios with or without a visual obstruction in a distributed driving simulator. The experimenter drove the other simulated vehicle to manually cause near-miss events. Participants’ mean longitudinal velocity, standard deviation of longitudinal velocity, and mean longitudinal acceleration were measured. ResultsParticipants in passive ADS group showed greater, and more variable, deceleration rates than those in the active ADS group. Despite a reliable audiovisual warning, participants failed to slow down in the red-light running scenario when the conflict vehicle was occluded. Participant’s trust in the automated driving system did not vary between the beginning and end of the experiment. ConclusionDrivers interacting with ADS in a passive manner may continue to show increased and more variable deceleration rates in near-miss scenarios even with reliable connected vehicle technology. Future research may focus on interactive effects of automated and connected driving technologies on drivers’ ability to anticipate and safely navigate near-miss scenarios. ApplicationDesigners of automated and connected vehicle technologies may consider different timing and types of cues to inform the drivers of imminent hazard in high-risk scenarios for near-miss events. 

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5. Feedforward attentional selection in sensory cortex

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41745-1  

   Westerberg, Jacob A; Schall, Jeffrey D; Woodman, Geoffrey F; Maier, Alexander (December 2023, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Salient objects grab attention because they stand out from their surroundings. Whether this phenomenon is accomplished by bottom-up sensory processing or requires top-down guidance is debated. We tested these alternative hypotheses by measuring how early and in which cortical layer(s) neural spiking distinguished a target from a distractor. We measured synaptic and spiking activity across cortical columns in mid-level area V4 of male macaque monkeys performing visual search for a color singleton. A neural signature of attentional capture was observed in the earliest response in the input layer 4. The magnitude of this response predicted response time and accuracy. Errant behavior followed errant selection. Because this response preceded top-down influences and arose in the cortical layer not targeted by top-down connections, these findings demonstrate that feedforward activation of sensory cortex can underlie attentional priority. 

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