Connecting Drivers with ADAS to Optimize Safety in SAE Level 3 Autonomous Vehicles
What is CONNECT?
The CONNECT project focuses on optimizing safety for drivers using advanced vehicle technologies, particularly in semi-autonomous vehicles. Specifically, we are examining how to improve the interaction between drivers and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in vehicles with SAE Level 3 automation. SAE Level 3, or “Conditional Automation,” refers to vehicles that can handle most driving tasks in specific conditions (e.g., on highways) but still require the driver to be ready to take over control when prompted by the system.
Many modern vehicles are equipped with ADAS technologies like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking. These systems are designed to help drivers maintain control and avoid accidents. However, the effective use of these technologies relies heavily on the driver understanding how they work and responding appropriately when necessary.
The CONNECT project aims to enhance how novice and mature drivers interact with ADAS, ensuring they can use these systems safely and effectively in vehicles with Level 3 automation.
Our Mission
The mission of the CONNECT project is to connect drivers with ADAS technologies in a way that optimizes safety and improves the driving experience, particularly in semi-autonomous vehicles. We are focusing on drivers in Canada, with an emphasis on novice and mature drivers who may face unique challenges when using these technologies.
Project Goals
- Connect Drivers with ADAS: Help novice and mature drivers understand and use ADAS features to improve driving safety.
- Optimize Safety in Autonomous Vehicles: Enhance the design and functionality of ADAS for use in SAE Level 3 autonomous vehicles.
- Driver Education and Training: Develop programs that teach drivers how to use ADAS technologies safely and effectively, ensuring a smooth transition as vehicle automation increases.
Team Members
The CONNECT project, funded by Transport Canada’s Enhanced Road Safety Transfer Payment Program (ERSTPP), is a collaborative effort between behavioural, engineering, and user experience researchers at Carleton University and physicians specializing in driver assessment at the Élisabeth Bruyère and Ottawa Hospitals.
Lead Researchers:
- Dr. Chris Herdman (Principal Investigator). Professor of Cognitive Science & Director of the Carleton Visualization and Simulation (VSIM) Centre
- Dr. Kathleen Van Benthem. Senior Researcher & Adjunct, Cognitive Science
- Dr. Bruce Wallace. Senior Researchers and Adjunct, Systems Engineering
- Lindsay McCauley. UX Researcher and Designer, Carleton VSIM Centre
Project Collaborators:
- Dr. Frank Knoefel. Physician: Older Adult Decline and Driving, Bruyère Health Memory Clinic and Adjunct Research Professor, Systems Engineering, Carleton University.
- Dr. Shawn Marshall. Physician: Division Head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital.
- Dr. Andrew Frank. Physician: Cognitive and behavioural neurologist, and medical director of the Bruyère Health Memory Clinic at the Élisabeth Bruyère Hospital in Ottawa.
- Dr. Neil Thomas. Physician: Cognitive and Behavioural Neurologist at the Bruyère Health Memory Clinic, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa and an Affiliate Investigator, Bruyère Research Institute in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Dr. Rafik Goubran. Vice-President (Research and International)
Visit the CONNECT Project Website
Learn more about CONNECT and follow updates at: connect4drivers.ca