Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Seoul, South Korea.
Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
Hum Factors. 2019 Feb;61(1):105-118. doi: 10.1177/0018720818790841. Epub 2018 Jul 30.
This study investigated the impact of in-vehicle interface characteristics on drivers' multitasking performance measures relating to visual attention management, concerning the distraction potential of in-vehicle touchscreens.
Compared with physical controls providing drivers with naturalistic nonvisual cues, in-vehicle touchscreen interaction relies on vision to a greater extent, leading to more time with eyes off the road and concerns for safety. Little is known from existing research about the extent to which synthetic feedback of in-vehicle touchscreens support visual attention of multitasking drivers, while automakers are increasingly incorporating nondriving functions into in-vehicle touchscreens.
Twenty-nine participants drove an instrumented vehicle on a closed course and acknowledged visual probes obscured on the roadside, while performing a manual data entry task with input interfaces mounted on the center console. The interfaces differed by interface type, key feedback modality, and key size; the configuration of interface characteristics was the within-subject variable. The collected data include performance measures concerning visual detection and touchscreen interaction, in addition to perceived workload.
The addition of nonvisual feedback to touchscreen interaction significantly improved accuracy and promptness of visual detection. No significant difference was found between different sizes of touchscreen keys when synthetic nonvisual feedback was available. Given multisensory feedback, no measure showed a difference between touchscreen conditions and a physical keypad.
The provision of synthetic nonvisual feedback to touchscreen interaction can support visual attention and enhance multitasking performance in driving.
This study can inform in-vehicle interface designers and policy makers concerned with distracted driving and safety.
本研究调查了车内界面特征对驾驶员多任务绩效指标的影响，这些指标与视觉注意力管理有关，涉及车内触摸屏的分心潜力。
与为驾驶员提供自然非视觉提示的物理控制相比，车内触摸屏交互在更大程度上依赖于视觉，导致更多的时间眼睛离开道路，对安全产生担忧。现有研究对车内触摸屏的合成反馈在多大程度上支持多任务驾驶员的视觉注意力知之甚少，而汽车制造商正越来越多地将非驾驶功能纳入车内触摸屏。
29 名参与者在封闭的课程中驾驶了一辆装有仪器的车辆，并在执行中央控制台安装的输入接口的手动数据输入任务时，承认路边遮挡的视觉探头。接口的区别在于接口类型、主要反馈方式和按键大小；接口特征的配置是被试内变量。收集的数据包括与视觉检测和触摸屏交互相关的性能指标，以及感知到的工作负荷。
为触摸屏交互添加非视觉反馈显著提高了视觉检测的准确性和及时性。在提供合成非视觉反馈时，不同尺寸的触摸屏按键之间没有发现显著差异。在多感官反馈的情况下，与物理键盘相比，没有一个测量指标在触摸屏条件和物理键盘条件之间存在差异。
为触摸屏交互提供合成非视觉反馈可以支持视觉注意力，并提高驾驶中的多任务性能。
本研究可以为分心驾驶和安全相关的车内界面设计人员和政策制定者提供信息。
