title: Augmented reality cues and elderly driver hazard perception.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) cues in improving driving safety among elderly drivers who are at increased crash risk because of cognitive impairments.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Cognitively challenging driving environments pose a particular crash risk for elderly drivers. AR cuing is a promising technology to mitigate risk by directing driver attention to roadway hazards. We investigate whether AR cues improve or interfere with hazard perception in elderly drivers with age-related cognitive decline.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 elderly (M = 73 years, SD = 5) licensed drivers with a range of cognitive abilities measured by a speed-of-processing (SOP) composite participated in a 1-hr drive in an interactive, fixed-base driving simulator. Each participant drove through six straight, 6-mile-long, rural roadway scenarios following a lead vehicle. AR cues directed attention to potential roadside hazards in three of the scenarios, and the other three were uncued (baseline) drives. Effects of AR cuing were evaluated with respect to (a) detection of hazardous target objects, (b) interference with detecting nonhazardous secondary objects, and (c) impairment in maintaining safe distance behind a lead vehicle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AR cuing improved the detection of hazardous target objects of low visibility. AR cues did not interfere with detection of nonhazardous secondary objects and did not impair ability to maintain safe distance behind a lead vehicle. SOP capacity did not moderate those effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AR cues show promise for improving elderly driver safety by increasing hazard detection likelihood without interfering with other driving tasks, such as maintaining safe headway.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 200 Hawkins Dr., Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. mark-schall@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schall
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rusch
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Geb
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Nazan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aksan
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D003463:Cues; D003626:Data Display; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012449:Safety