Evaluation of Gesture-Based In-Vehicle Interaction: User Experience and the Potential to Reduce Driver Distraction

Abstract

Objective: We observe the effects of in-vehicle system gesture-based interaction versus touch-based interaction on driver distraction and user experience. Background: Driver distraction is a major problem for traffic safety, as it is a contributing factor to a number of accidents. Visual distraction in particular has a highly negative impact on the driver. One possibility for reducing visual driver distraction is to use new forms of interaction in the vehicle, such as gesture-based interaction. Method: In this experiment, participants drove on a motorway or in a city scenario while using touch-based interaction or gesture-based interaction. Subjective data, such as acceptance and workload, and objective data, including glance behavior, were gathered. Results: As a result, participants rated their subjective impressions of safe driving as higher when using gesture-based interaction. More specifically, acceptance and attractiveness were higher, and workload was lower. The participants performed significantly fewer glances to the display and the glances were much shorter. Conclusion: Gestures are a positive alternative for in-vehicle interaction since effects on driver distraction are less significant when compared to touch-based interaction. Application: Potential application of this research includes interaction design of typical in-vehicle information and entertainment functions.

Effect of Touch Button Interface on In-Vehicle Information Systems Usability

“…A number of interaction studies have been conducted on infotainment systems. Various infotainment systems have been studied, such as touch buttons (Crundall et al, 2016;Feng et al, 2018;Kim et al, 2014;Suh & Ferris, 2019), overall user interface (UI) elements (Hua & Ng, 2010;Naujoks et al, 2019;Pankok & Kaber, 2018), icons/symbols (Silvennoinen et al, 2017), screen position (Kuiper et al, 2018), layout (Kim et al, 2015;Li, Chen et al, 2017), sound effects (Larsson & Niemand, 2015), gestures (Graichen et al, 2019;Parada-Loira et al, 2014), and modality (Gaffar & Kouchak, 2017).…”

“…In addition, complex IVISs provide various types of information, such as entertainment information, in addition to information directly related to driving, and these types of systems involve manual control using physical buttons. Recently, several studies have been conducted on the visual area of touch screen-type infotainment systems (Graichen et al, 2019;. However, unlike clusters and HUDs, infotainment systems have various functions, so physical control by task is required (Mathur et al, 2017).…”

A Systematic Review of Human Factors Literature About Voice User Interfaces and Older Adults

“…We then reviewed the full text of those 75 articles and excluded additional articles because they were either workshop papers (1), general conference proceedings descriptions (4), or not focused on VUIs (4; e.g., focused on gestures; Graichen et al, 2019). Furthermore, we eliminated 38 additional articles because they did not include older adult participants or focus on age or aging as a research consideration.…”

The Intuitiveness of Gesture Control with a Mixed Reality Device

“…Compared to the touch screen system, the gestures resulted in fewer glances, as well as shorter glances when they did happen, towards the main control panel. As a result, participants reported the gesture-based system was better (Graichen, Graichen, & Krems, 2019). Similarly, Marz, Schwahlen, Geisler, & Kopinski (2016) concluded that gestures are easier to learn and use if they are similar to their touchscreen equivalent.…”

“…In situations where cognitive load or visual attention might be limited, gestures could be beneficial. Graichen, Graichen, & Krems (2019) conducted a study using a gesture-based interface in a car and compared it to a touchscreen system currently in vehicles. After completing a set of tasks varying in complexity while driving in a simulator, the participants rated the gestures as desired where the touch was neutral.…”