Trace driven driving simulation : towards integration of external lab with simulator and the integrated study of microscopic and macroscopic problems in IVHS : emulation of the I-394 external laboratory in a driving environment

The research in traffic flow and safety has proceeded on two different tracks. The traffic flow research has focused on macroscopic aspects and aggregate behavior, while safety research has focused on the traveller's microscopic view of the transportation system. This dichotomy of research methodology has made it difficult to study many issues in intelligent vehicle highway systems in an integrated manner. In this project, we explore ways of facilitating research on problems which require integration of the two views of the transportation systems. In particular, we explore headup displays for conveying aggregate traffic information and exceptions to the drivers. We evaluate text based and graphic map based displays with fixed orientation as well as egocentric orientation. Our studies indicate that graphic displays are more effective than text based displays for the assimilation of information by drivers. Furthermore, our studies suggest that an egocentric map display allows drivers to assimilate and process information faster than a fixed orientation display.