Automotive Human Factors

- Passenger Car Distance Control–

Human interface design for distance control in automotive

ASSIGNMENT WEEK 1-2

Lecturers [Link]. Raymond Cuijpers

dr. Dik J. Hermes
dr. Jacques M.B. Terken
Place Eindhoven
Completion date 19-09-2014
Project team Group 6
K. Bouwman
A. Kaipencheri
K. Mundaragi
M. Soundarapadian
J. Wijkniet
Content

1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................3
1.1. Problem definition ........................................................................................................................ 3
1.2. Assignment.................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Analysis ......................................................................................................................................4
2.1. Assumptions .................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2. Interface stakeholders .................................................................................................................. 4
2.3 Story board.................................................................................................................................... 5

3. Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................6

4. Questionnaire Results .................................................................................................................8

4.1. Measurement data ....................................................................................................................... 8
4.2. Data interpretation ..................................................................................................................... 11

5. Requirements ........................................................................................................................... 12
5.1. Functional Requirements: ........................................................................................................... 12
5.2. Non-Functional requirements:.................................................................................................... 13

6. Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 14

2
1. Introduction

The context of this project is ‘Automotive Human Factors’; which concerns the relation between the car,
its human driver, and the dynamic environment. Some relevant issues for this project are safety,
accident prevention, and driver experience. The ‘human perception’ plays an important role in
communication between the car and its human driver, treating basic sensory processes (vision, hearing,
touch). A lack of human skills and its limitations can be responsible for accidents and/or inefficient use
of the high way.

1.1. Problem definition

Many accidents on the highways are caused by drivers of vehicles not maintaining sufficient and safe
distance between them. The ‘safe distance’ is a variable based on vehicle speed, weather, braking
performance, etc. In addition, inefficient use of the highway can lead to traffic jams. An efficient, concise
and clear interface warns the driver effectively to maintain a safe distance from the car in front.

1.2. Assignment
The assignment is defined as follows: Design an passenger car interface for steady state distance
control. This assignment can be split into three parts:

1. Collect requirements
2. Build interface with software tool Matlab based on drivers input and associated with human
factors and test the system in a driving simulator
3. Evaluate the interface

This report will deal with the first part of the assignment: Collecting requirements. The user-centered
design method is dominant during the research; the design process is centered on the user. That means
the user will be involved in all stages of the design process, however, this does not mean the user
designs the interface.

The user demands and wishes are determined by empirical measurements like a questionnaire and a
usability study. The questionnaire captures the needs and preferences of the users and requests users’
response to design solutions.

A storyboard (scenarios) of the problem has to be made to analysis the problem conceptually.

3
2. Analysis

This sections starts with an overview of the made assumptions and stakeholders in Paragraph 2.1 and
2.2 and a story board in Paragraph 2.3. A questionnaire is made to analyze customers’ demands and is
presented in Section 3. The questionnaire contains mainly system and workflow questions since these
are directly related to user’ demands and wishes. The data of the questionnaire is structured and
graphically displayed in Section 4.

2.1. Assumptions
The distance control assignment uses the following assumptions:

1. Highway driving:
The distance control in only used on the highway, not in city driving or urban areas;
2. Always a car in front:
The distance control is always experiencing a car infront;
3. Autonomous driving:
The car must brake when the gap becomes too small between both cars and accelerate when
the gap becomes too big.

2.2. Interface stakeholders

The stake holders are closely involved with the development of the passenger car distance control, this
could be user or manufacturer related. The stakeholders consist of:

1. Driver of the vehicle who will use the interface

2. Manufacturer of the vehicle/system
3. Maintenance team
4. Standards / safety regulating bodies

4
2.3 Story board

The story board provides a simple cartoon overview of how the user and system (distance control)
interact with each other over time. The story board is shown in Figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1: Story board

5
3. Questionnaire

To retrieve valuable demands and wishes from the user the following questions in the (online)
questionnaire are defined:

Link online Questionnaire:

[Link]

Distance control interview

Name: ……………………………… Gender: ………………………………………….

Age: …………………………………..

1. How safe is your driving? (from 1 to 10) …………………………………………..

2. How important is car safety? (from 1 to 10) …………………………………………..
3. How many years do you have you driving license? …………………………………………..
4. How frequently do you drive? (times a week) …………………………………………..
5. Are you familiar with cruise control and how often do you use it? ………………………………………..
6. How comfortable is cruise control for you?(from 1 to 10) …………………………………………..
7. Do you use cruise control on a highway? …………………………………………..

8. When the car in front of you suddenly brakes and the

cruise control is still active, do you want the car to
brake for you? (yes/no) …………………………………………..
9. When the car in front of starts accelerating and the
cruise control is still active, do you want the car to
accelerate for you? (yes/no) …………………………………………..

10. Have you ever experienced a motion after effect? (The feeling of ‘low speed’ you may get when
you go from highway (120 kph) to a city way(60kph)) Please, describe:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6
The following questions are about a safety system that determines the distance between your car and
the one in in front. In order to develop a user friendly safety system user feedback is required.

11. What kind of warning system do you like?

System Description Scale (from 1 to 10)

Visual by a color bar (green is safe, orange is warning, red unsafe) …………
by providing the distance in meters …………
by providing the distance in a bar diagram …………
by a single blinking warning light …………

Audio warning sound over the car-speakers …………

Sensitive vibration in the steering wheel …………

vibration in the driver seat ………..

12. If you could combine the warning system, which one would you combine? Please, describe:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

13. Should the safety system always be switched on when you start the car? (Yes/no)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

14. If the safety system is available in the car, would you use it, or rather turn it off?
Please, describe:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

15. Would you pay more for a car with (adaptive) cruise control? (yes/no)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

16. How much would you pay more? Please, describe:

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

17. If the warning system is visualized, do you like the system displayed it on:
o windscreen
o multimedia screen in dashboard
o LED light on dashboard

18. What do you think is a safe distance between you and the car in front of you?
o 1.5 times the cars length
o 2.5 times the cars length
o 3.5 times the cars length
o Other, namely …………….

7
4. Questionnaire Results

This section shows graphically the results of the questionnaire of Section [Link], 22 people have filled
in the questionnaire (all male). The first paragraph visualizes the measurement data in graphs. The last
paragraph discusses the measurement data and derives valuable information for the requirements.

4.1. Measurement data

Age group

10%
25%
10 to 20
0%
20 to 30
65% 30 to 40
>40

How often do you drive in a week?

10
10
no of times Travel/Week

4 3
2 2
2 1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
0
10 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 40 >40
Focus group - Age

<5 times 5 to 10 times >10

8
 Do you use Cruise Control on Highway?

27%

Yes
73% No

Average Kms/Week travel on highways

250
205,6 200 206

200
Kms Travel

150
100
100

50

0
10 to 20 20 to 30 30 to 40 >40
Age wise Focus group

9
 THE IDEAL POSITION FOR A
WARNING DISPLAY

Mulitmedia
screen on
LED light on Dashboard
dashboard 23%
32%

Windscreen
45%

TYPE OF WARNING SYSTEM PREFERRED

Audio
9%
Audio, Visual,
Sensory Audio, Visual
18% 37%

Visual,Sensory
36%

10
 Would you prefer your car taking decisions 5
like applying brake when cruise control is 17
active and car in front of you suddenly…

Should the proposed "Car distance Control" 11

system always be switched on when you 11
start the car?

0
If yes, would you use such a system? 22

0
Would you like a system in your car that
advices you to maintain a safe distance? 22

0 5 10 15 20 25

No Yes

4.2. Data interpretation

Based on the measurement data retrieved om the interview the following conclusion can be made:

1. On an average, age group between 20 to 30 years old travel eight times a week, which provides
a clear focus about the desired focus group to be considered.

2. In a Week, all age group people travel approximately 200 [km] on a highway and 73% of them
preferred to use Cruise control system which clearly shows the importance of distance control
between cars.

3. About 36% of the focus group prefers both Audio+Visual and Visual+sensory type of warning
system each to alert using this distance control system.

4. Majority of the focus group (45%) prefer to have this system on windscreen position rather
than on dashboard.

5. For about 74% of the driver would prefer a car which is able to take decisions on cruise control,
as braking.

6. Every interviewed person is would use the distance control and likes to be advised on a safe
distance.

11
5. Requirements

The results of the interview serve as input for the requirement determination. These requirements are
used to design the distance control interface and can be separated infunctionaland non-functional
requirements. The functional requirements are related to the user, the non-functional to the
technology.

5.1. Functional Requirements:

1. To measure the safe distance between the vehicle ahead of you.
a. Measure the speed of the vehicle going ahead (vehicle B). Mini-radar/ultrasonic sensors
b. The speed of the vehicle in the safety system is installed (vehicle A).
c. Braking performance of vehicle A : Normal Braking performance, Weather condition
estimation (with rain/temp sensors) ; Safety factor
2. To take autonomous action
a. Alert the driver while taking autonomous action
b. To accelerate if the distance is increasing:
i. Awareness of speed limits
ii. Awareness of vehicle performance and limitations (current gear / vehicle
loading, etc)
iii. Taking control of engine management system – inputs/interfaces/feedback
c. To apply brakes if the distance decreases rapidly
i. Inputs/interfaces/feedback with ABS/braking and engine management control
units.
3. To alert the driver:
a. Output the distance measurement in or combination of the below methods:
i. As an output of distance (in meters) with or without color coding
ii. Colored bars based on safe/non-safe distances
iii. Distances in bar diagrams
iv. Single warning light/audio playback
b. Identify the driver preference between the following probable outputs (individual or as
a combination of):
i. Audio signals – connections / interface to the ICE of the vehicle, type of audio
alert
ii. Visual alert
1. On the windscreen – Heads Up Display(HUD)
2. On the instrument cluster – Interface between safety system and cluster
control unit / body control modules (BCMs)
3. LED Displays on the center console/dashboard/multimedia screen
4. Separate hazard lights
iii. Sensory:
1. Vibration of the steering wheel
2. Vibration of the seat / headrest

12
 4. Operational requirements of the system:
a. An alert to be displayed if the system is defective/switched off
i. Displays on instrument cluster/LEDs on dashboard/center console
b. Ability for the driver to switch on/switch off the system
c. Default state of system after each ignition on/off cycles – i.e if system to be
automatically ON each time vehicle is switched on irrespective of last state.
d. Sensor/actuation testing between every on/off cycles
e. Ability to re-calibrate the sensors/system for maintenance purpose. (eg: during retro-
fitment / post-accidental repairs etc)

5.2. Non-Functional requirements:

1. Standards
a. Meet the standards of general automotive adaptive cruise control systems
i. ISO/DIS 15622 etc.

2. A minimum feedback information for the driver contains activation state (ACC system is active
or not active) and the set speed. This can be done by a combined output, e.g. displaying of set
speed information only when ACC is active. 1

3. If the ACC system shuts down or is not available due to a failure, the driver shall be informed. If
a symbol is used to notify the driver, a standard symbol shall be employed. 1

4. If the vehicle is equipped with both ACC and conventional cruise control systems, the driver
should be made aware of which system is operating. 1

5. All symbols used should be conform Annex B of ISO-15622. 1

6. The failures described in Table 3 and Table 4 of ISO-15622 shall result in immediate notification
to the driver (except in the case of a gearbox failure with Type 2 systems). The notification shall
remain active until the system is switched off.1

7. The system does not distract or visually entertain the driver.

8. No part of the system should obstruct the driver's view of the road scene.

9. Laws
a. System awareness regarding minimum/maximum speed limits to over-ride the
mechanism if necessary (eg: If vehicle ahead is beyond the min/max speed limits etc)
10. Manufacturer:
a. Cost of manufacturing / installation
b. Marketing the safety system – As a customer customization or part of a standard
kit/vehicle trim
11. Vehicle:
a. Limitations of autonomous acceleration / braking – manual gears etc
1
Source: ISO-15622 Road vehicles - Adaptive Cruise Control Systems - Performance requirements and
test procedures.

13
6. Conclusions

From the survey we can conclude that most of the drivers preferred an additional interface to alert
them about the distance between the vehicle in front. The existing technologies in the market and the
opinion of the interviews on these interfaces presented a clear picture about the driver needs and
requirements in this aspect. See for example, Figure 6.1.
Three fourth of the users use cruise control on highway. Most users like to be warned by
projection on the windscreen. We will utilize the results and opinions that we obtained from this study
and the interviews to design a human friendly interface.

Figure 6.1: Adaptive Cruise Control in Audi A6

Source: [Link]

14