Distract-R

Rapid Prototyping and Evaluation
of In-Vehicle Interfaces

As driver distraction from in-vehicle devices increasingly becomes a concern, researchers have searched for better scientific understanding of distraction along with better engineering tools to build less distracting devices. We have developed a new system, Distract-R, that allows designers to rapidly prototype and evaluate new in-vehicle interfaces. The core engine of the system relies on a rigorous driver model specified in ACT-R extended with threaded cognition, and uses an integrated-model approach with models of behavior on the prototyped interfaces to generate predictions of distraction. Distract-R allows a designer to prototype basic interfaces, demonstrate possible tasks on these interfaces, specify relevant driver characteristics and driving scenarios, and finally simulate, visualize, and analyze the resulting behavior as generated by the cognitive model. We have performed sample studies that demonstrate the system’s ability to account for effects of input modality and driver age on performance.

System

Distract-R.jar: a Java JAR file to run the system as a local application
Distract-R Applet: an applet to run the system within a browser window

Note: The simulation graphics require that you have the JOGL (Java OpenGL) package installed on your computer; please visit the JOGL web site to download and install the latest release. Without JOGL, you should still be able to run both the application and the applet above, but the simulation graphics will be disabled.

Extras

Quicktime movie of a brief demonstration of the system [12.6 MB]

Primary Reference

Salvucci, D. D. (2009). Rapid prototyping and evaluation of in-vehicle interfaces. ACM Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction.

Other References

Salvucci, D. D., Zuber, M., Beregovaia, E., & Markley, D. (2005). Distract-R: Rapid prototyping and evaluation of in-vehicle interfaces. In Human Factors in Computing Systems: CHI 2005 Conference Proceedings (pp. 581-589). New York: ACM Press.

Salvucci, D. D., & Taatgen, N. A. (2008). Threaded cognition: An integrated theory of concurrent multitasking. Psychological Review, 115, 101-130.

Salvucci, D. D. (2001). Predicting the effects of in-car interface use on driver performance: An integrated model approach. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 55, 85-107.

This work was sponsored by grants from the Office of Naval Research (#N00014-03-1-0036), the National Science Foundation (#IIS-0426674), and Ford Motor Company. Any results or opinions expressed are solely those of the individual researchers and do not represent the views of the sponsor organizations.