Design and validation of headup displays for navigation in IVHS

Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) are being developed to facilitate safety and efficiency for roadway users. To avoid congestion and improve route guidance, information has to be presented to the driver in a timely and digestible format. Currently, there are few methods by which an increase in such information load can be presented safely and effectively. The present experiments examine headup displays as one method of presenting this navigational information. A vital facet of information presentation is synthesis and management, such that displays do not overload drivers and create safety hazards in and of themselves. To evaluate displays in a controlled environment, the present experiments were conducted in a fixed-base simulation facility. The first experiment evaluated the differences in driver response to alpha-numeric versus iconic headup displays. The second experiment compared ego-centered against fixed-based map representations of geographical information. Results indicate the superiority of iconic headup displays and ego-centered maps.