Measuring the Driver's Mental Workload in the Peripheral Vision Area by using Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex

Abstract

Previous research has revealed that vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is disturbed when the person is engaging in higher cognitive activities using either their auditory or fovea system. This present research extended it to the peripheral vision system. As expected, the participants showed the largest VOR disturbance while they were engaging in the 3-back task, the most mentally-demanding task in the 3 conditions. The results suggest that VOR disturbance has the potential to be a good measurement to detect conditions in which the driver is overloaded with too much mental workload and not capable of driving properly.