Showing papers by "J.C.F. de Winter published in 2007"

Violations and errors during simulation-based driver training.

Abstract: The effectiveness of virtual driving instruction can increase when techniques that automatically distinguish between violations and errors are available, two behaviours requiring different types of remediation. This study reports the analysis of the objectively measured performance of 520 participants completing a simulation-based training programme. Factor analysis of failure reasons showed that violations and errors were the primary underlying factors. Men committed more violations and women made more errors; the magnitude of sex differences corresponded to the factor loadings. Factor analysis of the mean task completion times yielded a factor that can be described as the extent to which motivation for speed resulted in quicker task execution. Quicker participants completed more tasks, committed more violations, but made fewer errors. Participants reduced errors during forced-paced driving and increased speed during self-paced driving. The authors would recommend exploiting the distinction between violations and errors by developing interfaces and feedback for both types of aberration.

Didactics in Simulator-Based Driver Training: Current State of Affairs and Future Potential

Abstract: This paper describes how moderate-fidelity driving simulators are increasingly being used for cost-effective initial driver training. Apart from the need to satisfy simulator fidelity requirements, more attention is needed on the didactical properties of the training programs in order to yield more effective training. This paper investigates the didactical properties of current driver training simulators, and provides recommendations for improving the instructional design. A survey shows that the intelligent tutoring systems of current driver training simulators are mostly imitating the human instructor and that the “first principles of instruction” are not implemented to their full potential. Hence, there is ample room for improvement of the didactical properties by fully exploiting the many visualization, demonstration and performance-assessment opportunities provided by modern driving simulators. Furthermore, objective performance ratings of students can be used to provide accurate and consistent feedback-on-performance, something that is not possible in real cars, but which is often essential for effective skills training. It is recommended to use empirical experimentations to improve the instructional design of simulator-based driver training for specific learning outcomes and validate the use of the first principles of instruction to facilitate learning.

The Fun of Engineering: A Motion Seat in a Driving Simulator

Abstract: This paper evaluates the use of a motion seat in a fixed-base driving simulator. Sixty subjects with driving experience participated in a braking experiment and a cornering experiment in a between-subjects design. In the braking experiment, motion seat cueing versus motion turned off was evaluated. In the cornering experiment, the paper evaluated motion cueing according to the engineering way, according to the ‘fun’ way, and motion turned off. When driving under the engineering way condition, the driver’s body is tilted outward in the corners, to simulate the forces acting on the body during driving in a qualitatively correct fashion. The fun way tilts the body in the opposite direction, into the corner, as is done in many amusement rides. As hypothesized, results of the braking experiment showed that the motion seat resulted in smaller vehicle decelerations, more consistent stopping positions at a stop line, and smoother braking onset as compared to motion off. Results of the cornering experiment did not show any significant differences in driving performance between the three conditions. Results of a questionnaire showed that subjects rated fun cueing as more realistic/satisfactory than motion off. Individual differences were large compared to the effects of the motion seat. Future research could evaluate whether the motion seat improves driver training results.