Guest_Jim_* Posted June 30, 2015 Posted June 30, 2015 Some people believe that augmented reality systems are going to come to define how we interact with the world, by providing information on top of the world around us. One of the more obvious applications for such systems is vehicle windshields, by having warnings, directions, cellphone activity, and more information displayed in the driver's view. While some see this as a way to improve safety, as the driver will not have to look away from the road, researchers at the University of Toronto have found in a new study that AR may make driving less safe. What the study effectively boils down to is that the information thrown up on the windshield will actually split the driver's focus, because it takes some effort to recognize the information, identify it, and process it. To perform this study, the researchers used computer-based trials that would display randomly placed spots on a windshield. The participants would have to report when they saw the spots, and how many, but in some cases an additional shape would appear, and also had to be reported. When the shape was just a black-outlined square, and when it was a square, triangle, or diamond, the participants were much slower to reporting the shapes, and the number of spots. In some cases, they would just completely miss the shapes, and this grew worse when there were more spots on the screen. While AR could be useful for driving, this study indicates that the information and warnings provided that way could actually make things worse, as that information competes for the driver's attention. Furthermore, the researchers point out that it is very possible that the times when the most information would appear, would also be when the driver needs to be most focused on their environment. Source: University of Toronto Back to original news post Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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