Estimation of Drivers' Emotional States Based on Neuroergonmic Equipment: An Exploratory Study Using fNIRS

Research has shown the negative effects of emotions on driving performance and safety, whereas a small number of neuroimaging studies has been conducted to investigate a driver's brain activities while driving with emotions. This study aims to explore angry drivers' oxygen concentration level using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). To this end, ten participants drove with induced anger in a scenario where they encountered different hazards. Both cluster analysis and factor analysis showed that we can distinguish their anger state from the neutral state based on fNIRS data. Results are discussed with the application of real-time emotion mitigation system for drivers.