Using Glance Behaviour to Evaluate ACC Driver Controls in a Driving Simulator
This paper examines the glance behaviour of drivers while interacting with two different driver-vehicle interface concepts for an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system. With the integrated concept, the speed and following distance controls were located on the steering wheel whereas with the divided concept the speed control was moved to the dashboard. A virtual Head-Up Display (HUD) was used to show the ACC settings and current speed. Twelve subjects (19 to 53 years old) drove a rural road course in a fixed-base driving simulator while being verbally instructed to adjust the speed and/or following distance of the ACC system. Dividing the controls between the steering wheel and dashboard caused significantly larger mean and maximum glance times and a lower glance frequency to the displays and controls. The percent glance time “off-road” furthermore increased significantly during task completion. Other significant results were observed between the task type and task length.
Safety Aspects of CRT Touch Panel Controls in Automobiles
The introduction of in-vehicle CRT touch panel controls which require a number of consecutive eye fixations and a fairly stringent eye-hand-finger coordination and touch accuracy for several seconds inside a moving vehicle should be reconsidered and delayed. CRT touch panel controls and their sequential operation, as investigated in this study, do not seem to provide adequate driver safety and performance. In their present form, CRT touch panels appear not to be as safe as knobs, push buttons and levers that are currently being used. A tentative design guide is proposed and presented to aid designers in the design and applications of CRT touch panels and sophisticated displays in automobiles which will, hopefully, be more in tune with human capabilities and limitations and will ensure a more adequate and acceptable level of safety and driver performance during their operation while driving along a straight, smooth road with no other traffic close by and no traffic control devices or other obstacles present.
Ground Fault Protection for Electric Utility Generating Station Medium Voltage Auxiliary Power Systems
Most generating station designs have medium voltage auxiliary power systems with low resistance grounded neutrals.1 In order to provide even higher reliability, the auxiliary power distribution system configurations supply increasingly redundant process equipment.