EEG-Based Mental Workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the Drivers While Using Adaptive Cruise Control

Car driving is a complex activity, consisting of an integrated multi-task behavior and requiring different interrelated skills. Over the last years, the number of Advanced Driver Assistance systems integrated into cars has grown exponentially. So it is very important to evaluate the interaction between these devices and drivers in order to study if they can represent an additional source of driving-related distraction. In this study, 22 subjects have been involved in a real driving experiment, aimed to investigate the effect of the use of the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on mental workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the drivers. During the test physiological data, in terms of brain activity through Electroencephalographic technique and eye gaze through Eye-Tracking devices, and vehicle trajectory data, through a satellite device mounted on the car, have been recorded. The results obtained show that the use of ACC caused an increase in mental workload and Perception-Reaction Time of the drivers.