A Workload Manager Architecture for the Monitoring of Drivers’ Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

This paper presents the architecture of a software system able to assess the cognitive effort of a driver by monitoring the interaction between the driver and the steering wheel; this system is called WL Manager (WLM). The advantage of a Workload Manager System based on the steering dynamic is that of being not invasive in comparison to other workload measures, in particular physiological (heart rate, eye movements, etc…) which are considered by the literature more reliable than the other indirect measures. Furthermore, the dynamic of the steering wheel can be read from the onboard electronic units available for innovative steering systems like Steer-By-Wire devices (i.e. a steering wheel fully electronically controlled and without mechanical link with the front wheel); then, the implementation of a WLM system on a real car is a realizable project.