Flexible and Adaptive Driver Information

Important results from the project

Purpose: Adaptive Driver Information aims to investigate, evaluate and demonstrate methods and technical solutions for adaptive driver information. The main issues will be to optimize workload, improve situation awareness and investigate pros and cons with automation. Objectives: The intention of the project is to create guidelines for a dialogue manager that present adaptive driver information. The adaptation of the interfaces is influenced by the current vehicle status, situational conditions, contextual prerequisites, and individuals status, operator performance, as well as historical behavioural data. The purpose of driving information has been established previously and is to support safe, environment friendly, Efficient, Legal and Enjoyable. This will be further developed. The results from Adaptive Driver Information aims will gradually be utilized in product development at Volvo Cars within the Big Bang BB#7059 and the Advanced Engineering project ´Green Coach´ etc.

Expected long term effects

Product design and functional trends drives implementation of larger visual displays both for secondary and primary functions. Driver Information can change driving behavior and enables new features that may enhance: - Safety (e.g. Setting goals) - Green driving (e.g. Reduced Carbon footprint by green coach) - Enjoy (e.g. Feeling of control) - Efficiency - Law-abidingness A flexible and adaptive driver information is possible to personalize from different perspectives such as styling or content and adapts to different driving situations, e.g. traffic or driver status etc. Contributions to FFI objectives may be summarized as: Driver Information that enhance ( Effect goals) Safety (anticipation, setting goals, work load buffer etc.) Improved planning capabilities for both daily trips but also long trips that will gain safety. Green driving (e.g. Reduced Carbon footprint by green coach, Edutainment or new navigational features) Reduced carbon footprint, (Research has shown very promising results of green coaches.) Enjoy (e.g. improved feeling of control) Improved Competitiveness Efficiency (e.g. Off-car services) Lower cost for customer and less in-productive time spend. Law-abidingness (e.g. inform about unintended violations) Avoidance of unintended violations. Deliverables 2009-2012: Development: Theoretical framework for prototype design (EID), WP2: Development of Prototype interface, Report on Development of prototype, Cont WP2: Enchanced prototype interface, Concept car interface, reconfigurable/adaptive/market differences. Studies: WP1: Study on driver information needs and wants and Context activity template development, WP3: (Simulator) study on interface focusing on mental workload, (Simulator) study on interface focusing on Situation Awareness, Cont WP3: (Simulator) study on dialogue manager for in-vehicle information. Publications: 2 academic publications submitted, 2 academic publications submitted, 1 academic publication submitted, Guidelines for an adaptive interface? Four Conferences. Licentiate 2010 and PhD Thesis and exam 2012.

Approach and implementation

The project is a research project with a 100 % industrial PhD from Volvo Car Corporation. Academic supervisor is Professor Håkan Alm at Luleå University of Technology and the industrial supervisor from Volvo Car Corporation is Adjunct Professor Jakob Axelsson. The project runs between year 2009-2012 The Work packages and deliverables are described in the Project description date: 2009-05-12. Appendix 1 WP0 Method development. In this work package methods will be developed. Method development for context vs. function. A continuation of a previous work. Assessment of Situation awareness: The original method developed by Endsley must be modified in order to be used for cars and a previous study where context and functionality was matched will be utilized. WP1 Development of a Context activity template A continuation of a previous study will be performed. The Work Domain Analysis and the Context Activity template are finalized with prioritizations. WP2 Development of prototype An Ecological interface design approach will be utilized When needed also a User-Centred design approach will be used. WP3 Studies (Simulator tests, interviews) Evaluation of the prototype.