Drivers attend to a lot of information at various locations inside and outside the car as well as on external devices (e.g. smart phones). Head-Up Displays (HUDs) support keeping drivers' visual focus directed towards the street; as they present virtual information in the windshield area on top of the physical world within the field of view of the driver. Displayed information, however, is often spatially dissociated with its cause in the physical world: for example a warning is displayed, yet drivers still require time searching for the hazard causing it. Windshield displays (WSDs) allow virtual warnings being displayed at the position of the hazard. We compared HUD and WSD with the baseline no-display and found that drivers demonstrate a calm gaze behavior with WSDs; they keep their visual attention in average 1.5 s longer focused on the leading car. However, we also found no significant faster reaction time compared to HUDs. We discuss our findings comparing HUDs to WSDs, present potential limitations of our study and point out future steps in order to further investigate the advantages of WSDs.

SUMMARYAfter reviewing historical developments in robotics, particularly in Europe, and the current applications in industry, The author indicates possible trends in the future as regards the expansion of industrial automation and its impact on employment. Of interest is the concept of technological consortia or ‘systems houses’ capable of understanding from a ‘system’ perspective the cost-effective implications of overall system design. The final part of the paper is concerned with the examination of goals that lead to future developments, viz. the convergence of traditionally separate technologies, new design methodologies, rational software design, harmony between different kinds of software, and a new look at education and training leading to the emergence of a new type of engineer. The author advocates a balanced emphasis on these aspects and their co-ordination.