Effects of Automation and Fatigue on Drivers from Various Age Groups

Abstract

This study explores how drivers are affected by automation when driving in rested and fatigued conditions. Eighty-nine drivers (45 females, 44 males) aged between 20 and 85 years attended driving experiments on separate days, once in a rested and once in a fatigued condition, in a counterbalanced order. The results show an overall effect of automation to significantly reduce drivers’ workload and effort. The automation had different effects, depending on the drivers’ conditions. Differences between the manual and automated mode were larger for the perceived time pressure and effort in the fatigued condition as compared to the rested condition. Frustration was higher during manual driving when fatigued, but also higher during automated driving when rested. Subjective fatigue and the percentage of eye closure (PERCLOS) were higher in the automated mode compared to manual driving mode. PERCLOS differences between the automated and manual mode were higher in the fatigued condition than in the rested condition. There was a significant interaction effect of age and automation on drivers’ PERCLOS. These results are important for the development of driver-centered automation because they show different benefits for drivers of different ages, depending on their condition (fatigued or rested).

Adaptive Cruise Control tuned by Genetic Algorithm for Safe Distance of Automated Vehicle

“…The dynamics of the lead car and ego car equations are similar which is a transformation from vehicle's acceleration into speed and position. The dynamic equation for the two vehicles can be written in equation (1), which shows the relationship between acceleration as input and speed as an output transfer function.…”

“…The application of automation in recent automotive industries is becoming a necessity. It is intended for several reasons such as reducing fatigue while driving [1], [2], increasing driver safety [3] [4], vehicle fuel efficiency [5] [6], and making it simpler for drivers to park their vehicles [7] [8]. Another case can also be shown from vehicle platooning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [9].…”

PERCLOS-based technologies for detecting drowsiness: current evidence and future directions

“…Many validation studies for PERCLOS have been conducted, particularly in the context of driving, with numerous simulation studies reporting increases in PERCLOS or %TEC during driving after sleep deprivation [ 57 , 67 , 70 ] or partial sleep deprivation [ 59 ], overnight driving [ 65 , 71 , 89 ], driving after a night shift [ 53 ], driving at post-lunch dip [ 53 ], driving during sleep inertia [ 90 ], driving after benzodiazepine administration [ 81 ], or automated driving (combined operation of adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance) when compared to manual driving [ 91 ]. The effect of automated driving on PERLOS is more pronounced under fatigued conditions (extended wakefulness or sleep deprivation) [ 91 ]; PERCLOS has been shown to increase with self-reported sleepiness during simulated driving [ 57 , 90 , 92 ]. On-road driving studies have also reported increases in PERCLOS during manual driving with sleep deprivation in younger adults [ 72 ], during nurses’ commutes after a night shift compared to before a night shift [ 93 ], and during motorway driving at night time [ 94 ].…”

“…Third, there may be limitations to using PERCLOS for detecting drowsiness in older adults. Studies have shown that PERCLOS in older adults does not always correspond to underload in automated simulated driving compared to manual driving [ 91 ] or deterioration in on-road performance due to sleep deprivation [ 72 ]. In the latter study, older drivers showed increased lane deviation as a result of sleep deprivation, suggesting that factors other than falling asleep, such as inattention and distraction related to drowsiness [ 98 ], may contribute to impairments in driving performance due to drowsiness.…”

“…Fourth, there are limited hours in which PERCLOS is more sensitive to drowsiness during on-road driving. A simulated driving study showed a higher incidence of PERCLOS in automated driving compared to manual driving during daytime [ 91 ]. However, this effect was not observed during on-road driving in the daytime [ 94 ].…”