Effects of Cognitive Load on Takeover Requests in Conditionally Automated Driving

With increases in vehicle automation, drivers can engage in non-driving related tasks while trusting automation to maintain driving control. When the vehicle issues a takeover request (TOR), drivers must disengage attention from their non-driving task to direct attention toward the task of driving. Attentional disengagement takes time, making takeover requests limited by drivers’ attentional control. In the current project, the research team investigates how the cognitive complexity, or cognitive load, of the non-driving task impacts the time to disengage attention and respond to a TOR. Specifically, is the cost in disengaging attention from a non-driving task and switching to regaining vehicle control affected by the difficulty, or cognitive load, of the non-driving related task? Participants will perform a simulated automated drive while performance a secondary non-driving task under either a high- or low-cognitive load. The team will measure the impact of the cognitive load on driving parameters (e.g., lane position) and the time and quality of the driver’s takeover.

• Record URL:
  http://safersim.nads-sc.uiowa.edu/research_new.php?sp=126

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $44394
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747131

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  National Advanced Driving Simulator, 2401 Oakdale Blvd
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-5003
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  National Advanced Driving Simulator, 2401 Oakdale Blvd
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-5003
• Principal Investigators:

  Vecera, Shaun

  Gaspar, John

• Start Date: 20210801
• Expected Completion Date: 20221231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention; Autonomous vehicle handover; Autonomous vehicles; Cognition; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving simulators
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01773417
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Safety Research Using Simulation University Transportation Center (SaferSim)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747131
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: May 28 2021 3:21PM