Researchers at the University of Windsor will study how people relate to vehicle automation in a project that will inform government policy and regulation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems on Ontario roads.

Kinesiology professor Francesco Biondi and electrical and computer engineering professor Balakumar Balasingam run the Human Systems Lab investigating the human factors in driver-vehicle interaction.

“Autonomous vehicles have the potential to benefit safety on Ontario roads,” Dr. Biondi says. “However, recent Human Factors research shows that poorly designed technology may hinder their safe and effective adoption. We are excited that this study will contribute to the shaping of relevant policy making in Ontario.”

Their 18-month study has been funded by the provincial Ministry of Transportation through its Road Safety Research Partnership Program. It will examine driver interaction with real-world semi-automated vehicles, combining Biondi’s measurement of human factors and Dr. Balasingam’s expertise in signal processing and machine learning.

The aim is to produce a toolkit and guidelines to maximize the safety benefits of these driver assistance systems while minimizing the risks.

—Martin Vaughan