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Fatigue and mental underload further pronounced in L3 conditionally automated driving: Results from an EEG experiment on a test track

Nikol Figalová, Hans Joachim Bieg, Michael Schulz, Jürgen Pichen, Martin Baumann, Lewis Chuang, Olga Pollatos

TL;DR

The study addresses how the shift to supervising automated vehicles (L2 vs L3) affects drivers' cognitive state in real-world conditions. It uses a within-subject design with three 17-minute rides on a test track, collecting EEG data and self-report measures (NASA-TLX, KSS) to compare states. Findings show that L3 supervision reduces perceived mental workload but increases sleepiness, with EEG patterns of lower frontal theta and higher frontal alpha, consistent with underload and fatigue. The results have implications for UI design of L3 vehicles, such as dynamic attention-management systems, and highlight the need for longer-term, on-road studies.

Abstract

Drivers' role changes with increasing automation from the primary driver to a system supervisor. This study investigates how supervising an SAE L2 and L3 automated vehicle (AV) affects drivers' mental workload and sleepiness compared to manual driving. Using an AV prototype on a test track, the oscillatory brain activity of 23 adult participants was recorded during L2, L3, and manual driving. Results showed decreased mental workload and increased sleepiness in L3 drives compared to L2 and manual drives, indicated by self-report scales and changes in the frontal alpha and theta power spectral density. These findings suggest that fatigue and mental underload are significant issues in L3 driving and should be considered when designing future AV interfaces.

Fatigue and mental underload further pronounced in L3 conditionally automated driving: Results from an EEG experiment on a test track

TL;DR

The study addresses how the shift to supervising automated vehicles (L2 vs L3) affects drivers' cognitive state in real-world conditions. It uses a within-subject design with three 17-minute rides on a test track, collecting EEG data and self-report measures (NASA-TLX, KSS) to compare states. Findings show that L3 supervision reduces perceived mental workload but increases sleepiness, with EEG patterns of lower frontal theta and higher frontal alpha, consistent with underload and fatigue. The results have implications for UI design of L3 vehicles, such as dynamic attention-management systems, and highlight the need for longer-term, on-road studies.

Abstract

Drivers' role changes with increasing automation from the primary driver to a system supervisor. This study investigates how supervising an SAE L2 and L3 automated vehicle (AV) affects drivers' mental workload and sleepiness compared to manual driving. Using an AV prototype on a test track, the oscillatory brain activity of 23 adult participants was recorded during L2, L3, and manual driving. Results showed decreased mental workload and increased sleepiness in L3 drives compared to L2 and manual drives, indicated by self-report scales and changes in the frontal alpha and theta power spectral density. These findings suggest that fatigue and mental underload are significant issues in L3 driving and should be considered when designing future AV interfaces.
Paper Structure (9 sections, 1 figure)

This paper contains 9 sections, 1 figure.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Method
  3. Apparatus and experimental conditions
  4. Participants
  5. EEG signal processing and analysis
  6. Results
  7. Self-report mental workload and sleepiness
  8. EEG measures
  9. Discussion

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: (a) The mean scores of the six dimensions of mental workload measured by NASA-TLX after each ride. (b) The relative power spectral density measured on the Fz electrode in the theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) band. Significant differences in the mean scores are marked with an asterisk. The error bars represent the 95% confidence interval.