On the Impact of User’s Computer Knowledge on Driving Simulation Test Results-HUD Simulation Case Study

Contemporary studies have focused on the development of rear collision avoidance or warning systems, in order to assist drivers during demanding driving situations and weather conditions. However, vehicle’s controllability through human decision-making is often impaired due to unambiguous interface designs. Our effort focuses on the development of a system that could complement human senses instead of replacing them, and improve users’ response times under adverse weather and traffic conditions. To this end we developed a prototype Head-Up Display (HUD) interface that could effectively convey the crucial information in a timely manner. The system’s effectiveness was validated using a custom simulation system and evaluated through trials with 40 users. In this paper we will present a succinct overview of the HUD system and we will investigate the correlation of users’ driving performance and their computer knowledge. The potential impact of computer familiarisation and simulation results will be analysed explicitly through the collision occurrence results derived from the comparative study of the HUD against the contemporary instrumentation panel.