Fuzzy warnings in motor vehicles. Is a LED bar suitable as a display for driver assistance systems?

The thesis investigates a new driving assistance system for vehicles, more specifically, a visual warning system. This display differed from other typical systems in that it was designed to be perceived by the peripheral vision instead of a direct gaze towards it. It consisted of a one-dimensional array of multi-coloured LEDs which were placed under the windshield. Because of the simplistic design, the messages to the driver did not contain any symbols or text. They were solely created from bars of light. These light bars could differ in size, colour, position, brightness and animation. The potential to increase traffic safety and the impact of the display on the driver were investigated in seven studies. The generated knowledge was then used to evaluate whether the concept was fit for implementation in real traffic. In each of the studies, different aspects relevant for the task were investigated. Up until now there was only little research about the effects of LED arrays as displays for warning systems. Previous research generally lacked a holistic appraisal which describes the relevant aspects of human perception and the specific effects of different configurations of this kind of display. This thesis closes this gap by investigating the concept on a very basic level and then iterates towards more practical use cases. In this way, the thesis manages to provide a comprehensive profile of the impact of this LED array. It could be demonstrated that all necessary basic preconditions for the implementation of such a display in the car are met. The results indicate that a display without symbols and text can achieve the same advantages as a classic system with symbols, while distracting the driver less from the street. The new display system in form of an LED array thus has the potential to be less demanding of the driver than classic displays while still enhancing his reactions.