MIT Wants to Build a Distraction-Proof Car for Seniors
MIT is partnering with several automakers and technology companies to design a car that meet the needs of the demographic that is most likely to buy a new car: baby boomers.
According to a report by The Boston Globe, MIT’s AgeLab uses a Volkswagen Beetle dubbed “Miss Daisy’’ from the movie “Driving Miss Daisy’’ as a simulator to test auto innovations geared towards seniors. The simulator looks at various factors including how seniors sit in cars compared to younger drivers and how that position can affect them differently in the event of a collision.
As the Globe reports, the aging baby boomer population is more likely to buy a new car. With this in mind, developing a car that won’t interfere with the motorist’s driving is a high priority.
From the Globe:
“Aging drivers can have declining visions, slower reaction times,’’ said Janet Weisenberger, director of Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research. When you’re driving, visual and sound cues get your attention when something is wrong, like the beeping when the driver’s seatbelt is unbuckled.
But if the driver’s hearing is declining, what kinds of sounds work the best? Together with a partner in industry, that is one area Weisenberger’s group is testing.’’
MIT AgeLab has formed a consortium with automakers Honda, Subaru, and Jaguar Land Rover and auto components companies DENSO and Touchstone Evaluations to study driver distraction and combat it. The consortium, called AHEAD for Advanced Human Factors Evaluator for Automotive Distraction, will take a particular interest in distractions caused by in-vehicle technology such as dashboard displays and noise alerts.
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