Adaptable Driver-Car Interfacing and Mental Workload: a Review of the Literature

Abstract : This report discusses a number of issues that are important for the design of an adaptive interface or dialogue controller in a car equipped with a GIDS system. There are two major sections, each followed by recommendations for interface design. In the first section (Chapter 2), a short review of human performance in multitask situations is given. Practice is assumed to be of major significance for mental workload reduction especially in tasks that are executed concurrently with similar tasks. Also, issues concerning the concept, prediction and assessment of mental workload are discussed. A distinction is made between mental workload assessment for the evaluation of GIDS systems and for the adaptation of the interface to the driver workload. Recommendations are given for workload assessment in evaluation studies. The second section of the report (Chapter 3) discusses literature on adaptive interfaces. Distinctions are made between human and system-initiated interface adaption and between short-term and long-term adaptation. The section ends with recommendations regarding when and how to adapt the interface characteristics to driver workload.