Promoting eco-driving behavior through multisensory stimulation: a preliminary study on the use of visual and haptic feedback in a virtual reality driving simulator

Abstract

This paper describes the design and preliminary test of a virtual reality driving simulator capable of conveying haptic and visual messages to promote eco-sustainable driving behavior. The driving simulator was implemented through the Unity game engine; a large street environment, including high-speed and urban sections, was created to examine different driving behaviors. The hardware setup included a gaming driving seat, equipped with a steering wheel and pedals; the virtual scenarios were displayed through an Oculus Rift headset to guarantee an immersive experience. Haptic stimulation (i.e., vibrations) was delivered to the driver through the accelerator pedal, while visual stimuli (i.e., icons and colors) were shown on a virtual head-up display. The sensory feedbacks were presented both alone and in combination, providing information about excessive acceleration and speed. Four different virtual scenarios, each one including a distracting element (i.e., navigator, rain, call, and traffic), were also created. Ten participants tested the simulator. Fuel consumption was evaluated by calculating a mean power index (MPI) in reference to the sensory feedback presentation; physiological reactions and responses to a usability survey were also collected. The results revealed that the haptic and visuo-haptic feedback were responsible for an MPI reduction, respectively, for 14% and 11% compared with a condition of no feedback presentation; while visual feedback alone resulted in an MPI increase of 11%. The efficacy of haptic feedback was also accompanied by a more relaxing physiological state of the users, compared with the visual stimulation. The system’s usability was adequate, although haptic stimuli were rated slightly more intrusive than the visual ones. Overall, these preliminary results highlight how promising the use of the haptic channel can be in communicating and guiding the driver toward a more eco-sustainable behavior.

The Effects of Sensory Cues on Immersive Experiences for Fostering Technology-Assisted Sustainable Behavior: A Systematic Review

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Aroma of the essential oil of peppermint reduces aggressive driving behaviour in healthy adults

“…Although driving behaviour in simulators is considered less realistic than in the field, they have been successfully employed in studies of fatigue (Philip et al, 2003), distraction (Mehler et al, 2009) and safety and traffic accidents (Lee et al, 2002(Lee et al, , 2003 (Zinzow et al, 2018), and to promote eco-sustainable driving behaviour by reducing excessive acceleration and speed (Pietra et al, 2021). However, we believe this study represents the first time it has been used to specifically assess the impact of aroma on aggressive driving behaviour.…”

An Overview of Eco-Driving Theory, Capability Evaluation, and Training Applications

“…It can be seen in Figure 6 the effect of haptic feedback on eco-driving seemed to be better than visual feedback. This may have been due to the heavier visual burden causing the driver to pay less attention to the effect of visual feedback, and haptic feedback may have caused unconscious actions of the driver [ 125 ]. However, acceleration is not the only factor that affects energy consumption.…”