Chalmers University of Technology

Field Operational Tests –

From Data Collection to Analysis

With Focus on DistractionWith Focus on Distraction

Katja Kircher, Chalmers

Foto: Tedd Soost

Chalmers University of Technology

FOT – a Hot Topic

• In Sweden and Europe now many FOTs underway

• Netherlands: Roads to the Future (ACC &

LDW; 20 cars, 5 months, finished

2006???); LDWA FOT (35 trucks 1 2006???); LDWA FOT (35 trucks 1

coach, LDW)

• Sweden: ISA, TSS-FOT, SeMiFOT, (Distraction

Project)

• EU: euroFOT, TeleFOT

Chalmers University of Technology

In the US

• completed (examples)

– UMTRI (ACAS FOT, RDCW FOT)

– Volvo FOT, Drowsy Driver Warning System FOT– Volvo FOT, Drowsy Driver Warning System FOT

• ongoing (examples)

– IVBSS, CICAS-V, SafeTrip 21

– (naturalistic driving: 100 car; SHRPII)

Chalmers University of Technology

Evaluated Functions

• ACC

• ISA

• Lane Change/Merge

activ

ity

decreasing activity frequencycomfort systems

• Lane Change/Merge

• LDW, CSW (RDCW)

• Drowsy Driver Warning

• FCW (IVBSS)

criticality

increasing criticality”event” warning systems

Chalmers University of Technology

Driver State

• So far not often a main factor in FOTs

(except Drowsy Driver Warning System

FOT, VTTI).

• However, FOT and naturalistic driving (ND) • However, FOT and naturalistic driving (ND)

data useful to answer driver state

questions (e. g. prevalence in different

situations)

Chalmers University of Technology

Driver State

• Intoxication

• Drowsiness

• Distraction• Distraction

• Illness

• Stress and

other ”mental

states”

Foto: Tedd Soost

Chalmers University of Technology

Driver State – Possible Questions

• prevalence during different situations/ events

• possible to warn before critical events occur?

• effect of warnings?

• general change of behaviour?• general change of behaviour?

• long-term effects, e. g. system abuse

• validation of simulator/test track findings

Chalmers University of Technology

Driver State – FOT Difficulties

• not easy to log in real time

(necessary to give real time warnings/info)

• not even easy to log reliably at all• not even easy to log reliably at all

(e. g. stress, intoxication, …)

Chalmers University of Technology

FOT and Distraction

• Visual distraction accessible via eye

trackers (gaze direction), which by now are

mature enough for field use

• Distraction quite common in everyday • Distraction quite common in everyday

driving (reasonable FOT duration enough)

• Distraction difficult to ”provoke

naturally” somewhere else than

in field (FOT method of choice)

Chalmers University of Technology

FOT and Drowsiness

• Drowsiness accessible via eyetrackers (blink behaviour), which by now are mature enough for field use

• Drowsiness not so common in everyday driving • Drowsiness not so common in everyday driving (FOT duration? Special driver selection?)

• Drowsiness in field/natural environ-ment qualitatively different than”forced drowsiness” in simulators?

Chalmers University of Technology

FOT for Studies of Driver State

• + natural environment

• + long-term observation of behaviour

(adaptation)(adaptation)

• + prevalence data obtainable

• - not easy to collect data (sensors)

Chalmers University of Technology

General FOT issues

• ethical issues (integrity, data access)

• legal issues (filming, data access)

• logistics issues (data collection, upload, • logistics issues (data collection, upload,

back-up)

• analysis issues (retrieving

relevant info, data loss,

statistics)

Chalmers University of Technology