Driving Behavior during Takeover Request of Autonomous Vehicle: Effect of Driver Postures.

We investigated the effect of driver posture on driving control following a takeover request (TOR) from autonomous to manual driving in level 3 autonomous vehicles. When providing a TOR, driving behaviors need to be investigated to develop driver monitoring systems, and it is important to clarify the effect of driver postures. Experiments were conducted using driver postures that are likely to be adopted in autonomous driving.

Impacts of visual and cognitive distractions and time pressure on pedestrian crossing behaviour: A simulator study.

Distractions have been recognised as one important factor associated with pedestrian injuries, as the increasing use of cell phones and personal devices. However, the situation is less clear regarding the differences in the effects of visual-manual and auditory-cognitive distractions. Here, we investigated distracted pedestrians in a one-lane road with continuous traffic using an immersive CAVE-based simulator.

Validation of driver support system based on real-world bicycle and motor vehicle flows.

The incidence of traffic accidents in Japan has been decreasing annually. Nineteen percent of all accidents involve bicycles, with 51 % of these accidents being at road crossing intersections. Therefore, to reduce the number of accidents, this study analyses driving and cycling characteristics and proposes suitable collisions prevention methods.

Educational Possibilities of Keeping Goats in Elementary Schools in Japan.

Many Japanese elementary schools keep small animals for educational purposes, and the effects and challenges have been investigated. Although goats are medium-sized animals that are familiar to Japanese, few practical studies have been conducted on keeping goats in schools. This study investigated the effects and challenges of keeping goats in elementary schools and discussed its educational possibilities.

Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists Identifying Causal Factors Using Questionnaire Survey, Traffic Accident Data, and Real-World Observation.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of traffic accidents involving cyclists. The focus is on the characteristics of cyclist accidents and scenarios, because the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in Tokyo is the highest in Japan. First, dangerous situations in traffic incidents were investigated by collecting data from 304 cyclists in one city in Tokyo using a questionnaire survey.

Development of eating behavior by Japanese toddlers in a nursery school: relation to independent walking.

The eating behavior of 32 toddlers in a nursery school at 10, 12, and 14 months old was observed in relation to the age at onset of independent walking. With increasing age, the frequency at which the toddlers ate food given by a teacher decreased, and the frequency at which the toddlers ate by themselves increased. The toddlers who started walking earlier also advanced faster in the development of eating behavior.

[Indoor and outdoor peer relations in preschool children].

This study examined whether the choice of interactors is influenced by indoor and outdoor situations. Peer relations among twenty three-year-old, eighteen four-year-old, and twenty five-year-old children in an urban preschool in Japan were observed during indoor and outdoor free play situations. We analyzed the partners in the interactions, the number, and the stability of interactors.