Perception analysis of highway quality of service using a driving simulator and eye tracking system

Abstract

In this study, we investigated drivers’ behavior in a highway considering their perception of the quality of service as a function of surrounding traffic conditions, using a driving simulator and an eye tracking system. The driving simulator allows to create different driving environments very similar to real-life driving scenarios. We developed three different scenarios, with traffic densities based on different levels of service, and also prepared a questionnaire to evaluate user perception. Data from the questionnaire, the driving simulator, and the eye tracking system for twenty participants were included in our database. We performed statistical analysis using nonparametric tests (Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey tests) and measured Pearson’s correlation coefficients between variables. Within this preliminary approach, drivers were able to differentiate between the scenarios and were able to determine scores for each level of service presented. These results suggest that driving simulators have considerable potential for the evaluation of quality of service (QoS) perception.

Keywords

• Driving simulator. Highway. Quality of service. User’s perception.