Situation Awareness in Automated Vehicles through Proximal Peripheral Light Signals

Abstract

With the rise of automated vehicles, car drivers will be given the opportunity to perform other tasks or activities than controlling the vehicle. However, in a car that is not entirely automated, a human driver might need to manually take over control at some point. When such a situation occurs, awareness of the traffic situation is considered essential. In this study, we evaluate a design that aims to enable the driver of an automated car to perform a task (other than driving) while still gaining situation awareness through peripheral light signals. The results show that proximal peripheral light signals can increase the situation awareness of a driver while performing an alternative task or activity.