ENV Training.
After the eye tests, have the participant sit at the table. Explain the following:
The following presentation will provide instructions, definitions, and examples of the objects we will be using. You can ask me questions at any time. There will be some pages I will place extra emphasis on. Any questions before we begin the presentation?
Answer questions as needed. Once there are no more questions, begin the instructions. Stress the following points:
- Definition of detection versus recognition.
- Stress safety (i.e. 10 mph, drive safely, etc).
- Again, answer questions.
Slide 1: This study is called Enhanced Night Visibility given that its purpose is to evaluate Vision Enhancement Systems. Tonight I will be one of the experimenters that will be riding with you.
Slide 2: This is a timeline of how the night will break down. We are in the Laboratory Training portion right now. Once we are done with the lab training we will familiarize you with the Thermal Imaging System and the procedure for the experiment.
Slide 3: The enhanced night visibility project is an extensive research project to determine what vision enhancement system configuration will best help people see objects on the road at night.
We needed people to give us information on visibility and preference of the different vision enhancement systems. That is why you were asked to come here tonight. The information you give us will be compiled with other people’s data so we can determine the best configuration.
We will be using four different vehicles on the road. One car with a Thermal Imaging System, and three sport utility vehicles. You will be performing the study in the “fog” condition.
Slide 4: We are going through this training to make you more comfortable with the study before we begin driving. We will cover the items mentioned on this slide. I want to stress that if you have any questions, please stop and ask at any time.
Slide 5: The Smart Road is perfect for testing of this type. It is completely closed off, making it safe for both drivers and experimenters.
Slide 6: This is a picture of part of the Smart Road during daytime.
Slide 7: You will drive a total of four vehicles tonight. Each vehicle might include more than one configuration of Vision Enhancement Systems for a total of 6 different configurations. Five of those configurations are headlamps and the 6th configuration is an Infrared-Thermal Imaging System. This last one is a Heads Up Display positioned over the steering wheel. You will have the opportunity to practice with this system tonight.
Slide 8: Your primary responsibility is to drive safely. We are also interested in how far away drivers can detect and recognize objects along the road with these Vision Enhancement Systems. We will explain what we mean by detection and recognition shortly. However, I would like to show you this.
Show them the button
I will ask you to hold a button like this during the study in your hand while driving. You will press the button like this.
Press the button
When you press this in the car, you will hear a beep.
Slide 9: Detection is when you can just tell that something is on the road in front of you. You cannot tell what the object is but you know something is there. Detection is important while driving since it prepares you to possibly make an evasive action.
As soon as you detect an object, please press the push button.
Slide 10: Recognition is when you not only know something is there but you also know what it is. This is important to help you decide how best to avoid the object. For instance, if you see an object in the road and then realize it is a dog, you know that the object can move unpredictably and you need to slow down greatly and likely swerve to avoid it. If however you see an object and it is a box you know the object is not likely to move and slowing down a little and swerving will likely be sufficient.
When you can accurately recognize an object, I would like you to press the push button and identify the object verbally at the same time. You will need to be specific when you identify. If you see an object, you will need to tell me what the object is.
For example,
“I see a Person”
“I see a Cyclist”
If you perform an Unsuccessful Recognition, you can press the push button again.
Slide 11: Dynamic objects include pedestrians and cyclists. The pedestrians will be people walking either along the road or across the road; the cyclists will be riding a bicycle across the road. We will see pictures of these objects shortly.
Slide 12: Here are pictures of the objects. They will not look exactly like this in the road since these were taken during the day. However, this should give you a good idea of what they will look like.
Slide 13: We will also have some questions for you to answer. As soon as you are done with a Vision Enhancement System, you will evaluate it. Therefore, after you see the objects with each VES, I will ask you this series of questions (show questionnaire). We want you to rank your answer on a scale from 1 to 7. One means you strongly agree with the statement. Seven means you strongly disagree with the statement. You can give me any number between one and seven. Your answers may or may not be different for each VES, we just want your opinion on the one you just saw.
Here is the questionnaire that you will be answering for each VES. Let’s go over each of the statements. Please, feel free to stop me at anytime, and ask as many questions as you want. (Read and explain each statement.)
Slide 14: Go over main points.
Slide 15: Do you have any questions?
Answer any questions.
Shortly we will have you drive one of the experimental vehicles to help familiarize you with the Thermal Imaging System. This uses a heads up display that is projected onto the windshield just below your field of view. The Thermal Imaging System is not intended to be used alone instead it is supposed to accompany your normal driving. Be sure to view the road as your normally do while also using the heads up display.
Show them diagram.
This is a diagram of the course for tonight’s training.
While reading the following section, point out the path that the participant is supposed to follow for the training.
First drive to the road section. The speed limit for this portion is 25 mph. On this section you will be able to see how things like pavement markings show up in the heads up display. At the turnaround of the road section you need to pull to the far right-hand side of the shoulder and stop the car just past the cone. Then turn the steering wheel fully to the left before beginning the U-turn. Be sure to look for traffic approaching from both directions.
We will now proceed to the gravel lot. When entering the gravel lot, between the two cones, watch for traffic coming from the right. Once on the gravel lot the speed limit is 15 mph. You will then drive through two more cones driving parallel to the white line on your left. Here you will see one of the objects involved in the experiment and how it appears in the heads up display. Then make a U-turn around the cone at the end of the white line and leave the gravel lot and proceed to the road section.
You will repeat this process seeing different object two more times. This will conclude the training for today.
Any questions?