COMPARISON OF HUMAN DRIVER DYNAMICS IN AN AUTOMOBILE ON THE ROAD WITH THOSE IN SIMULATORS HAVING COMPLEX AND SIMPLE VISUAL DISPLAYS

As part of a comprehensive program exploring driver/vehicle system response in lateral steering tasks, driver/vehicle system describing functions and other dynamic data have been gathered in several milieu. These include a simple fixed-base simulator with an elementary roadway delineation- only display; a fixed-base statically operating automobile with a terrain-model-based, wide angle projection system display; and a full-scale moving-base automobile operating on the road. Dynamic data with the two fixed-base simulators compared favorably, implying that the improverished visual scene, lack of engine noise, and simplified steering wheel feel characteristics in the simple simulator die not induce significant driver dynamic behavior variations. The fixed-base vs. moving-base comparisons showed substantially greater crossover frequencies on the road course, which can be ascribed primarily to a decrease in the driver's effective latency for the moving base. When considered with previous data, the moving-base full-scale vs. fixed-base simulator differences are ascribed primarily to the motion cues present on the road course rather than to any visual field differences. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Corporate Authors:

  Systems Technology, Incorporated

  13766 South Hawthorne Boulevard
  Hawthorne, CA  United States  90250
• Authors:
  • McRuer, D T
  • Klein, R H
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Drivers; Driving simulators; Dynamics; Information display systems; Road tests
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dynamic characteristics
• Old TRIS Terms: Displays
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142375
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Contract Numbers: DOT-HS-359-3-762
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 15 1976 12:00AM