Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (PhD)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Advisor 1
Kelly Steelman
Committee Member 1
Shane Mueller
Committee Member 2
Elizabeth Veinott
Committee Member 3
Joonbum Lee
Abstract
Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) are SAE level 2 features that require active driver control while engaged. Although drivers can have their feet off the pedals and hands off the steering wheel, they must maintain supervisory control of the vehicle. However, when these features are in use, drivers may become less aware of their surroundings, increasing the risk of accidents. To counter this problem, vehicle manufacturers use driver monitoring strategies to ensure drivers remain attentive while ADAS features are active. These monitoring strategies employ instructions to ensure drivers are engaged in the driving task. These instructions are broadly classified into hands-on-the-wheel and hands-free (eyes-on-the-road). The hands-on-the-wheel strategy measures driver engagement by examining steering wheel torque, while the hands-free strategy tracks the driver's eyes to ensure they remain on the road. Although both strategies are commonly used in vehicles with SAE level 2 automation, there is a lack of publicly available data on their effectiveness and impact on takeover performance.
In this dissertation, three studies were conducted to measure the effects of the hands-on-the-wheel and eyes-on-the-road driver monitoring strategies on situation awareness, change detection, mind-wandering, and gaze behavior. Study 1 was exploratory and utilized a low-fidelity semi-automated driving task to examine the effects of the two engagement strategies on driver attention during level 2 ADAS driving. Study 2 was an extension of Study 1 and moved to more naturalistic automation-related change detection in addition to a SAGAT freeze-probe protocol and comfort, fatigue, engagement, and takeover readiness measures in addition to the ones measured in Study 1. Study 3 extended Study 2 in a medium-fidelity driving simulator to investigate the effects of the two driver engagement strategies on driving performance variables and driver attention. Study 1 found that the hands-on-the-wheel strategy promoted less mind wandering during level 2 automated driving. Study 2 found that while the hands-on-the-wheel strategy also promoted less mind wandering, it promoted higher situation awareness, more perceived engagement with automated driving, less self-reported fatigue, and faster response to takeover requests. On the contrary, Study 3 found that the eyes-on-the-road strategy exhibited higher SA, faster responses to takeover requests, and less steering wheel variability but closer following distances post-takeover.
Although the three studies have mixed findings, the hands-on-the-wheel strategy appears more promising because it engages drivers physically with the driving task, potentially leading to safer driving behaviors. This work has broader implications for SAE level 2 and 3 ADAS features, reinforcing the need for an engagement strategy with driver monitoring systems. Even as level 3 and higher technologies are developed, the results here inform strategies for automation-level step-downs as the drivers are brought back into actively controlling the vehicle.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Amre, Shruti, "IS THE MAGIC IN THE HANDS OR EYES? STUDYING THE EFFECTS OF DRIVER MONITORING STRATEGIES ON SITUATION AWARENESS, MIND WANDERING, AND CHANGE DETECTION BEHAVIOR IN LOW AND MEDIUM FIDELITY SEMI-AUTOMATED DRIVING ENVIRONMENTS", Open Access Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2024.