Fundamental study of in-vehicle information provision based on cognitive workload of elderly driver when approaching an intersection

This study describes the fundamental research for designing human machine interface (HMI) of in-vehicle information provision based on the characteristics of cognitive workload of elderly driver when approaching an intersection. In the experiment using a motion-based driving simulator (DS), elderly and young participants were asked to drive from an origin to a destination on the road network of the DS while performing a one-back memory task with 1-digit number displayed in visual or auditory modalities. Driving maneuver, performance of the dual-task and subjective report were analyzed and compared between the elderly and the young and also based on the combination of the distance from the intersection and the type of turn there. Based on those results, several prototypes of the HMI were designed and examined by using the DS. The design of the HMI for elderly drivers was discussed in terms of driver's cognitive workload, the amount of information content and the information timing.