Interface development for early notification warning system: Full windshield head-up display case study

Abstract

This paper elaborates on the development of a prototype Head-Up Display (HUD) system designed to offer crucial navigation information to the driver, under adverse weather conditions. In particular the paper presents the implementation process and evaluation of the sharp turn notification and traffic warning cues which reflect some of the most common risks that may be encountered in a collision in a motorway environment under low visibility. Additionally, emphasis was placed on the prioritisation and effective presentation of information available through vehicular sensors, which would assist, without distracting, the driver in successfully navigating the vehicle under low visibility conditions. This information which appear in the form of symbolic representations of real objects, are projected in the vehicle's windscreen and superimposed onto the real scenery. Overall the paper examines the potential benefits and occurring issues of the proposed HUD interface and presents the results of a large scale evaluation of the system on a group of forty users, as performed using a driving simulator. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.