The mental workload of driver caused by vehicle movement during steady-state cornering (the wavelet analysis of the heartbeat)

Abstract

The behavior of driver is formed by recognition, decision and operation. Driver have to grasp parameters such as changing of surroundings and movements of the automobile. These are chances that vehicle movements might be drivers' mental-workload and cause them to make mistakes in judgment and to disturb their operation of the car. In this report, we measured drivers' physical reaction, and vehicle movements such as velocity, acceleration, yaw rate and roll rate through the steady-state cornering test. In order to consider time-series factors of physical reaction, we used Wavelet Analysis from R-R interval of heart beat variability to clarify activities of autonomic nerve. As a result, we could specify the parameters of vehicle movements which cause drivers' mental-workload. In addition, we could make a specific group of drivers who easily get the mental-workload from vehicle movements by using HQL Workload Sensitivity Questionnaire based on drivers' individual characteristics.