Visual Cue in the Peripheral Vision Field for a Driving Support System

Abstract

This paper deals with the possibility of a new warning method for controlling drivers’ sensitivity for recognizing hazardous factors in the driving environment. The method is based on a visual warning cue in the peripheral vision, which is outside of the central vision. In the human visual field, the central and peripheral vision fields have different processing mechanisms. In this study, the presentation of visual cues in the peripheral vision field is intended to provide a soft visual warning without intrusive interference to the task performed in the central vision. The results of many experiments performed with a 27-in. monitor display showed that a blinking visual cue at a view angle of around 26° from the center provided a good visual stimulus in the peripheral vision without being overlooked or being annoying to the subjects. The subjects tended to perceive the visual stimulus in the peripheral vision field beginning at 60°. A visual cue moving from the outer vision field to the center vision was perceived at around 60° regardless of its speed. A preliminary design guideline for installing visual warnings in the peripheral vision field is proposed.