An Empirical Investigation of the Effect of Manipulating Optical Looming Cues on Braking Behaviour in a Simulated Automobile Driving Task

..................................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ..............................................................................................................vi List of Tables .................................................................................................................................xi List of Figures...............................................................................................................................xii List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................xvi Chapter 1.........................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1 1.1 BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION........................................................................1 1.1.1 Optic Flow and Control of Locomotion ........................................................................2 1.1.2 Optical Looming and Control of Collision....................................................................4 1.2 PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES .........................................................................................6 1.2.1 Problem..........................................................................................................................6 1.2.2 Objectives ......................................................................................................................9 Chapter 2.......................................................................................................................................10 Literature Review .........................................................................................................................10 2.1 REAR-END COLLISION ACCIDENTS...........................................................................10 2.1.1 Consequences ..............................................................................................................11 2.1.2 Causes ..........................................................................................................................13 2.2. COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST REAR-END COLLISIONS ...................................18 2.2.1 Rear Signal Improvements ..........................................................................................19 2.2.2 Headway Distance Maintenance and Collision Warning Systems………………….. 26 2.2.3 Brake Assist/Brake Assist PLUS.................................................................................28 2.2.4 Autonomous Braking System......................................................................................29 2.3 MODELLING VISUAL CONTROL OF BRAKING BASED ON OPTICAL INFORMATION ......................................................................................................................29 2.3.1 Tau Theory...................................................................................................................29 2.3.2 Evidence of Tau...........................................................................................................33 2.3.3 Efficiency of Tau Hypothesis ......................................................................................36