Smartphone interfaces for driving
Increasingly, drivers wish to use their smartphones within a vehicle context. However, the use of such small screen devices in the safety-critical driving situation raises a range of driver distraction concerns.
This project aims to:
- Understand the demands of generic tasks that would be possible with smartphone interfaces (reading, writing, menu navigation, scrolling, etc.). This will enable decisions to be made regarding what complexities of task are acceptable/unacceptable for use by drivers.
- Design and evaluate a generic, mediating interface which enables a driver to interact with a smartphone in the driving context. Such an interface would utilise a range of interface solutions to minimise visual, biomechanical and cognitive demands.
The project will utilise the occlusion protocol to measure the inherent demands of a wide range of generic tasks. In addition, driving simulator studies will be conducted to evaluate prototype interfaces in a safe, controlled environment.
This project is funded by a major vehicle manufacturer.
For more information, email Dr Gary Burnett.