Warning Signals and Driver Re-engagement for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Date
2019-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Autonomous systems are in their infancy in terms of total vehicle comprehension of surrounding events, and for some years into the future, these technologies will require the individual to regain control of the vehicle during unpredictable events. Previous studies have not investigated the relationship between individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and re-engagement with driving. Given the extensive literature on sensory defensiveness in individuals with ASD in non-driving situations, the method used to alert drivers to re-engage may cause particular difficulties for this population. In the present study, licensed adult drivers with and without ASD completed an autonomous driving scenario in a simulator at the Ohio State University Driving Simulation Laboratory. When an unpredictable situation occurred, the vehicle presented a warning signal from one of three sensory modalities to alert participants to re-engage with driving. These signals included visual flashing lights, haptic seat vibrations, or auditory tones, that prompted the driver to take control of driving. Re-engagement time was measured by how long it took the participant to come in contact with the steering wheel or brake pedal. Data collection is still underway, but results to date showed that there was a significant main effect of warning, with auditory and haptic warning signals producing the shortest reaction times. Data analysis using ANOVA did not show a significant main effect of ASD, despite the trend towards longer reaction times in that participant group. When completed, the results of this study may give us new insights in relation to the experience of individuals with ASD, warning signals and re-engagement time with autonomous vehicles. This will provide automakers with guidance in vehicle design to accommodate both typically-developing and special populations to make the vehicle experience inclusive for all users.
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Keywords
Autism, Autonomous vehicles, ASD, Driver re-engagement, Warning signals, Autonomous