Possibility of using entropy method to evaluate the distracting effect of mobile phones on pedestrians

Abstract

The number of mobile phone users keeps increasing every year and mobile phones have become a primary need for most people. Ordinarily, people are not aware of the risk from a common dual-task study, such as using a mobile phone while walking or simply standing. This study reviewed the methodology in evaluating the distracting effect of mobile phones on pedestrians. A comprehensive review of literature revealed that the most common method in quantifying pedestrian performance is to evaluate postural task performance. Since using a mobile phone while crossing the road is a type of dual-task study, it would give more clarity to investigate it using entropy methods that have been proven more sensitive than the traditional center of pressure (COP) in discriminating the changes in human balance. The descriptions of commonly used entropy methods were also given in order to give a broad overview of the possibility in applying the methods to further clarify the distracting effect of mobile phones.