Real-Time Assessment of Secondary Task Intrusiveness upon Real-World Driver Steering Performance using a Fiber-Optic Gyroscope

Abstract

Lateral steering stability is a critical parameter of driving performance from both a theoretical as well as applied perspective. The measurement of lateral steering stability in a driving simulation environment is both straightforward and ubiquitous. However, the ability to measure this performance parameter in real-time during real-world driving has typically been fraught with technical challenges. The recent introduction of low cost fiber-optic gyroscope devices appears to have addressed many of the traditional difficulties associated with the real-time measurement of steering performance. State-of-the-art fiber-optic gyroscopes are capable of providing continuous data representing the rate of change in heading angle with a precision of 0.001 deg/sec. The current study evaluated the reliability and potential usefulness of real-time angular heading rate data collected from a instrumented research vehicle fitted with a KVH AutoGyro (fiber-optic laser gyroscope). Data from the fiber-optic gyroscope was collected and logged (at 10 Hz) via digital computer while volunteer participants performed a number of standard driving maneuvers and in-vehicle tasks involving interactions with instrument panel interfaces and controls.