Contrast research on ergonomics of vehicle drivers in indirect and direct vision environment

Flat displays will be used to provide a better view for drivers in some future special vehicles, but the drivers have to observe the outside environment only by the displays in cab. As there is a great difference between the two-dimensional visual environment provided by onbroad displays and the visual environment for the drivers who drive normal vehicle by direct vision, the psychological and physiological responses of indirect vision drivers are quite different from direct vision drivers. An indirect vision driving system was equipped on a large sport-utility vehicle, and the contrast experiment between indirect vision driving and direct vision driving was carried out. Psychological and physiological index of drivers, such as EEG, pulse, blood oxygen saturation, and completing task time, has been collected and processed using mathematical statistical methods. The comparative analysis result shows that the physiological load of drivers in indirect vision driving mode and direct vision driving mode is nearly the same, but the psychological load in indirect vision driving mode is higher than that in direct vision driving mode; thus, the total workload of indirect vision driver is higher.