What's the difference between flying a 777 and driving a new car? Researchers from NASA's Human Systems Integration Division tell us that difference between these two vehicles is less than we may think. They explain why cars are becoming increasingly like jet airliners and offer some helpful advice for new car buyers in a recent article published in The Conversation.
Following decades of research aimed at ensuring the safe use of automation in the airline cockpit, NASA researchers have recently looked at the automation systems that are now installed in our cars. Research done at Ames Research Center has shown that there is more to the safe use of these automation systems than pushing a button and hoping that all goes to plan. NASA studies have shown that predicting what an automation system will do next, maintaining one’s attention on the road ahead or even remaining awake while automation handles the controls, can be more challenging than it seems. For many years, even airline pilots harbored misconceptions about how it all worked. And since drivers don’t get the same training that airline pilots do, we need to actively support drivers in avoiding these misconceptions.
Fortunately, research is underway at NASA and elsewhere, and what we are learning is reaching a worldwide audience. Read the article at:
https://theconversation.com/your-driver-assist-system-may-be-out-of-alignment-with-your-understanding-of-how-it-works-166471
