Adjusting the need for speed: assessment of a visual interface to reduce fuel use

Previous research has identified that fuel consumption and emissions can be considerably reduced if drivers engage in eco-driving behaviours. However, literature suggests that individuals struggle to maintain eco-driving behaviours without support. This paper evaluates an in-vehicle visual interface system designed to support eco-driving through recommendations based on both feedforward and feedback information. A simulator study explored participants' fuel usage, driving style, and cognitive workload driving normally, when eco-driving without assistance and when using a visual interface. Improvements in fuel-efficiency were observed for both assisted (8.5%) and unassisted eco-driving (11%), however unassisted eco-driving also induced a significantly greater rating of self-reported effort. In contrast, using the visual interface did not induce the same increase of reported effort compared to everyday driving, but itself did not differ from unassisted driving. Results hold positive implications for the use of feedforward in-vehicle interfaces to improve fuel efficiency. Accordingly, directions are suggested for future research.Practitioners' Summary: Results from a simulator study comparing fuel usage from normal driving, engaging in unassisted eco-driving, or using a novel speed advisory interface, designed to reduce fuel use, are presented. Whilst both unassisted and assisted eco-driving reduced fuel use, assisted eco-driving did not induce workload changes, unlike unassisted eco-driving.

[1]  Roberto Lot,et al.  Incorporating Driver Preferences Into Eco-Driving Assistance Systems Using Optimal Control , 2021, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

[2]  S. A. Birrell,et al.  Vibrotactile pedals: provision of haptic feedback to support economical driving , 2013, Ergonomics.

[3]  Rochdi Trigui,et al.  Eco-driving: An economic or ecologic driving style? , 2014 .

[4]  S. Hart,et al.  Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): Results of Empirical and Theoretical Research , 1988 .

[5]  C. B. Vining.  An inconvenient truth about thermoelectrics. , 2009, Nature materials.

[6]  L. Steg,et al.  Making Small Numbers Count: Environmental and Financial Feedback in Promoting Eco-driving Behaviours , 2014 .

[7]  Aaron Windecker,et al.  Fuel economy, cost, and greenhouse gas results for alternative fuel vehicles in 2011 , 2013 .

[8]  James A. Landay,et al.  UbiGreen: investigating a mobile tool for tracking and supporting green transportation habits , 2009, CHI.

[9]  Yadollah Saboohi,et al.  Model for developing an eco-driving strategy of a passenger vehicle based on the least fuel consumption , 2009 .

[10]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Distributed Cognition on the road: Using EAST to explore future road transportation systems. , 2018, Applied ergonomics.

[11]  Markus Lienkamp,et al.  The Virtual Driving Coach - design and preliminary testing of a predictive eco-driving assistance system for heavy-duty vehicles , 2015 .

[12]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Encouraging Eco-Driving With Visual, Auditory, and Vibrotactile Stimuli , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems.

[13]  P. T. Krein,et al.  Review of Battery Charger Topologies, Charging Power Levels, and Infrastructure for Plug-In Electric and Hybrid Vehicles , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[14]  Catherine Harvey,et al.  To twist, roll, stroke or poke? A study of input devices for menu navigation in the cockpit , 2013, Ergonomics.

[15]  Steven Broekx,et al.  Using on-board logging devices to study the longer-term impact of an eco-driving course , 2009 .

[16]  Daniel P. Piatkowski,et al.  Measuring the Impacts of Bike-to-Work Day Events and Identifying Barriers to Increased Commuter Cycling , 2015 .

[17]  Yvonne Barnard,et al.  How I reduce fuel consumption: An experimental study on mental models of eco-driving , 2015 .

[18]  J. Barkenbus.  Eco-driving: An overlooked climate change initiative , 2010 .

[19]  Susan Shaheen,et al.  How Public Education on Ecodriving Can Reduce Both Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions , 2012 .

[20]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Driver Modeling and Implementation of a Fuel-Saving ADAS , 2018, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC).

[21]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Eco-driving: the role of feedback in reducing emissions from everyday driving behaviours , 2018, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science.

[22]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Modeling the Real World Using STISIM Drive® Simulation Software: A Study Contrasting High and Low Locality Simulations , 2017 .

[23]  G. Fischer,et al.  Socio-economic and climate change impacts on agriculture: an integrated assessment, 1990–2080 , 2005, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

[24]  A. Hamish Jamson,et al.  Drivers’ ability to learn eco-driving skills; effects on fuel efficient and safe driving behaviour , 2015 .

[25]  Patricia Delhomme,et al.  Self-reported frequency and perceived difficulty of adopting eco-friendly driving behavior according to gender, age, and environmental concern , 2013 .

[26]  Hesham Rakha,et al.  Ecological and safe driving: A model predictive control approach considering spatial and temporal constraints , 2019, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment.

[27]  K. Kurani,et al.  Car buyers and fuel economy , 2007 .

[28]  Natasha Merat,et al.  The Design of Haptic Gas Pedal Feedback to Support Eco-Driving , 2017 .

[29]  Mark S. Young,et al.  Design for Smart Driving: A Tale of Two Interfaces , 2009, HCI.

[30]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  From the Simulator to the Road - Realization of an In-Vehicle Interface to Support Fuel-Efficient Eco-Driving , 2019, IHSI.

[31]  Woohun Lee,et al.  The effect of eco-driving system towards sustainable driving behavior , 2010, CHI EA '10.

[32]  Manfred Tscheligi,et al.  Acceptance of future persuasive in-car interfaces towards a more economic driving behaviour , 2009, AutomotiveUI.

[33]  Neville A Stanton,et al.  Use of Highways in the Sky and a virtual pad for landing Head Up Display symbology to enable improved helicopter pilots situation awareness and workload in degraded visual conditions , 2019, Ergonomics.

[34]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Getting drivers to do the right thing: a review of the potential for safely reducing energy consumption through design , 2014 .

[35]  C. C. Chan,et al.  The State of the Art of Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles , 2007, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[36]  David R. B. Stockwell,et al.  Forecasting the Effects of Global Warming on Biodiversity , 2007 .

[37]  Thomas J Triggs,et al.  Driver distraction: the effects of concurrent in-vehicle tasks, road environment complexity and age on driving performance. , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[38]  Husnain Malik,et al.  Fuel consumption and gas emissions of an automatic transmission vehicle following simple eco-driving instructions on urban roads , 2014 .

[39]  Ricardo Martinez-Botas,et al.  Comparative analysis of the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of 40 electric, plug-in hybrid electric, hybrid electric and internal combustion engine vehicles , 2013 .

[40]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  The virtual landing pad: facilitating rotary-wing landing operations in degraded visual environments , 2018, Cognition, Technology & Work.