Cognitive tasks and combined statistical methods to evaluate, model, and predict mental workload.

Mental workload (MWL) is a concept that is used as a reference for assessing the mental cost of activities. In recent times, challenges related to user experience are determining the expected MWL value for a given activity and real-time adaptation of task complexity level to achieve or maintain desired MWL. As a consequence, it is important to have at least one task that can reliably predict the MWL level associated with a given complexity level.

Comparison between elderly and young drivers' performances on a driving simulator and self-assessment of their driving attitudes and mastery.

Elderly people are often considered dangerous drivers due to a decline in visual exploration and cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to look into 18 young (between 21 and 35  years old) and 12 elderly (between 65 and 78 years old) drivers' behaviour. We compared their self-assessment of driving as well as their visual and cognitive competencies.

Virtual collaboration: effect of spatial configuration on spatial statements production.

When guiding a remote collaborator in a virtual environment, people often take an addressee-perspective, which may have a high cognitive cost. In order to improve collaborative virtual environments, a better understanding of how operators share spatial information is needed. This work aimed to study the cognitive workload linked to spatial statements production in situations in which the relative positions of speaker, addressee and target were varied.

Do mental workload and presence experienced when driving a real car predispose drivers to simulator sickness? An exploratory study.

This study is aimed at determining whether the simulator sickness (SS) experienced by some drivers is influenced by psychological factors, such as cognitive solicitation, affective factors and a feeling of presence. We also wished to determine whether SS is caused by an individual reaction to the virtual environment (VE) itself or can be attributed to a more general personal predisposition. For this reason, we considered three conditions: driving a simulator, driving one's own vehicle and driving a school-owned vehicle.

Cognitive control by brain-injured car drivers: an exploratory study.

Cognitive control is a key tool for adaptation in dynamic situations. The aim of the study is to assess the relevance of a theoretical framework for cognitive control in dynamic situations, in order to understand brain-injured (BI) car drivers' cognitive impairment. The framework supports a cognitive control multimodality based on the crossing of two orthogonal dimensions: symbolic/subsymbolic; anticipative/reactive control.

Consequences of cognitive impairments following traumatic brain injury: Pilot study on visual exploration while driving.

Primary Objective: The aim was to assess the visual exploration of a person suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). It was hypothesized that visual exploration could be modified as a result of attentional or executive function deficits that are often observed following brain injury.

Research Design: This study compared an analysis of eyes movements while driving with data from neuropsychological tests.

The use of hazard road signs to improve the perception of severe bends.

Collision analysis indicates that many car accidents occur when negotiating a bend. Excessive speed and steering wheel errors are often given by way of explanation. Nevertheless, the underlying origin of these dramatic errors could be, at least in part, a poor estimation of bend curvature.