Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Driver acceptance of and experience with ADAS
The aim is to study the concept of acceptance within the area of ADAS and how it is/should be measured. Within this area, acceptance is recognized to be of vital importance and often measured – but seldom defined. This leads to very different assessments depending on the measures used. The current research examines the different measures used assessing acceptance of ADAS as well as the definitions that do exist within this area. Further, the comprehensive research body on acceptance and use of new technology that exists in the area of computer science is investigated. A first test on whether the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) could be adapted to the area of ADAS to assess driver acceptance of new technology is carried out.
Co-workers: Emeli Adell, András Várhelyi, Lena Nilsson (VTI)

Development of a measuring instrument for in-vehicle registering of safety critical events
The aim is to develop and validate a measuring instrument for registering of traffic conflicts in the vehicle by detecting ”jerk”.  When evaluating the safety effects of ADAS, only substitute to accidents can be used, since, for natural reasons, waiting for accidents to occur is not an alternative. The best substitutes to accidents are near-accidents, i.e. traffic conflicts with a documented relationship with accidents. The method is based on the relationship between “jerk” (a sudden change in acceleration) and a traffic conflict. A measuring instrument for registering traffic conflicts in “ordinary” vehicles will allow collection of a large number of conflicts during driving and thereby provide a powerful tool in evaluating the safety effects of various ADAS systems.
Co-workers: Omar Bagdadi, András Várhelyi

Limitations and Communication Strategies of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
The driving assistance systems of today alter the driving task to one in which the driver, in addition to driving, needs to monitor one or several assistance systems. The driving assistance systems also demand that the driver reclaim control for certain functions in critical situations. These two areas are the focus of research, in which conditions and methods for the hand-over of control between system and driver are studied. Some interesting questions to answer are:

• What information does the driver need in order to reclaim control from the system?
• How should this information be communicated for usability?
• Are there systems today in which the hand-over of responsibility is done in a more ecological fashion?
• In a vehicle with multiple systems, how should the information for hand-over be prioritized and presented?

Co-workers: Annika Larsson, András Várhelyi, Risto Kulmala, Sidney Dekker (School of Aviation, Lund University)

Within the framework of the European project SASPENCE, subproject to the integrated project PReVENT, an ADAS with a “Safe Speed and Safe Distance” function was developed during 2004-2007. The system advises the driver proper speed and car following distance for the given condition to prevent dangerous situations. The system warns the driver when: 1) the car is too close to the vehicle ahead, 2) the speed is too high considering the road layout, 3) the speed limit is exceeded. Our involvement was within the activities of HMI design and test of driver reactions to and acceptance of the system both in laboratory, driving simulator and in real traffic.

Within the framework of the European project PROSPER (Project for Research On Speed adaptation Policies on European Roads) field experiments with ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation) in Hungary and Spain were carried out during 2003-2005. Twenty vehicles in each city were equipped with two kinds of ISA systems: 1) warning via an active accelerator pedal, which exerts a counterforce at speeds over the speed limit and 2) warning via beep signals and flashing red light when exceeding the speed limit. The aim of these field trials was to make a comparative analysis of the effects of the two ISA systems and to reveal possible regional differences in driver reactions to and acceptance of such systems.

Between 1999 and 2001, the group carried out the evaluation of the long term- and large scale effects of an ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation) system, namely the  active accelerator pedal. Two hundred and ninety vehicles participated in the 6-12 month long field trial in Lund, evaluating the effects on speed, traffic safety, driver behaviour, travel time, emissions and acceptance. The results showed that compliance with the speed limits improved among test drivers both according to their own statements and the objective measurements. The reductions in average speeds, and in speed distribution, better car following behaviour, increased attention and better behaviour towards pedestrians indicate a great traffic-safety potential. The test drivers think that the active accelerator pedal is an efficient means to improve road safety and experience it as a support in car driving. However, those who need it most are the most negatively inclined to the idea.

Research work within the European project MASTER (MAnaging Speeds of Traffic on European Roads) was carried out during 1997-1999. The project aimed at producing information that can be cited in the preparation of national and EU decisions concerning speed management and standards for speed control equipment.

Publications on ADAS