Human Centered Systems Laboratory Fact Sheet - Research that is Essential, Indispensable, and Connected to our Customers [2001]

NHTSA · 2001 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This document is a fact sheet describing the Human Centered Systems (HCS) Laboratory at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC), operated by the Federal Highway Administration. The laboratory’s primary purpose is to aid the design of safe and efficient roadway infrastructure by analyzing driver and pedestrian behavior. It addresses geometric, traffic control, and operational issues, aiming to elicit user preferences, gather baseline data, and test hypotheses in controlled settings. The HCS team collaborates with transportation engineers to define research approaches for specific roadway problems, utilizing a range of facilities to select the most technically appropriate and cost-effective tools for each study. The laboratory employs a sequential, progressive research methodology using complementary facilities. Initial investigations are conducted in lower-cost environments, such as SignSim, which uses back-projected slide projectors to study how users recognize and respond to signs, and VidSim, which uses three large-screen monitors to examine situations like navigation displays and skewed intersections. RoadSim provides an interactive desktop driving console for programming various scenarios, from residential areas to multi-lane highways. More complex studies utilize HySim, a full-car cab simulator with a 120-degree curved screen that responds to driver inputs with vehicle motion, vibration, and sound. Finally, the Field Research Vehicle allows researchers to conduct experiments on actual roads, equipped with reconfigurable LCD dashboards, GPS navigation, and cameras to record driver behavior and roadway conditions. The document outlines specific research activities conducted by the laboratory. Recent activities included evaluating signs for the 2000 edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), analyzing driver perceptions of horizontal curves, examining comprehension of alternative pedestrian signal lenses, comparing responses of older and younger drivers to emergency events, and comparing visual versus auditory route guidance displays. Current activities involve analyzing path and speed in two-lane roundabouts, comparing timing sequences for pedestrian countdown signals, analyzing detection of fluorescent traffic signs, determining acceptable speeds from a nonmotorist’s perspective, examining speed hump warning signs, and studying luminance versus intensity for LED traffic signals. The significance of the HCS Laboratory lies in its ability to provide essential data for transportation safety and operations. Staffed by research psychologists, transportation engineers, and technical engineers, the laboratory supports various FHWA programs, including the Pedestrian and Bicycle Program, the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative, and the Run-Off-the-Road Program. By providing input on driver-centered guidelines and sign comprehension, the laboratory helps define factors in curve design and traffic control devices, directly influencing national transportation standards and safety practices.

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Topics

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• simulator validity fidelity
• perceptual countermeasures
• hud ar windshield
• ehmi external hmi
• vru facing ehmi
• visual occlusion

Information type

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• Methodological Resource: tool software, validation psychometrics, dataset resource