Advanced vehicle sonification applications

Abstract

Visual displays are still mainly used in the in-vehicle context, but they may be problematic for providing timely, appropriate feedback to drivers. To compensate for the drawbacks of visual displays, multimodal displays have been developed, but applied to limited areas (e.g., collision warning sounds). The present paper introduces advanced vehicle sonification applications: Two of our on-going projects (fuel efficiency sonification and driver emotion sonification) and a plausible future project (nearby traffic sonification). In addition, applicable sonification techniques and solutions are provided. Sonification applications to these areas can be an effective, unobtrusive means to increase drivers' situation awareness and engagement with driving, which will lead to road safety. To successfully implement these applications, iterative and intensive assessment of driver needs, effectiveness of the application, and its impact on driver distraction and road safety should be conducted.