Submission 218
The Impact of Monitor Position on Gap Acceptance Judgments in Camera-Monitor Systems
SymposiumTalk-02
Presented by: Elisabeth Wögerbauer
With the growing adoption of camera-monitor systems (CMS) replacing traditional side mirrors in vehicles, new design questions arise regarding the optimal placement of monitors within the vehicle. Unlike mirrors, CMS monitors are not physically constrained to the traditional mirror location, allowing for greater flexibility in monitor placement. However, this flexibility may influence spatial perception, task performance, and workload during driving. In a virtual-reality experiment, we investigated how different monitor positions and image presentations affect drivers’ perception and performance in a lane-change scenario. Participants judged the last safe gap (the latest moment a lane change was still perceived as safe) while concurrently performing a visual detection response task, which represents typical visual demands during a lane-change. Four monitor positions were tested: on the A-pillar, next to the steering wheel, and at two positions on the driver’s door – one near the conventional mirror position and one farther back. For the latter monitor position, an additional unmirrored (non-reversed) image variant was included to explore whether a non-reversed view, presented in a location that approximates the natural gaze direction of a shoulder check, can facilitate the assessment of the last safe gap. In addition to task performance, in both tasks, we assessed workload and subjective ratings of the monitor variants. The results of the experiment will be presented, and implications for the design of CMS will be discussed.