Comparison of Mobile Device Navigation Information Display Alternatives from the Cognitive Load Perspective

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) should minimize the cognitive load on the drivers to reduce any risk of accidents. For that purpose we built an experiment in which two alternatives for information display are compared. One alternative is the traditional information display method of showing a map with the target route highlighted in red. This is compared against a proposed alternative for information display in which prior to a junction a ground-level photo is displayed with a large red arrow pointing at the correct route the driver must take. The photo-enhanced information display method required 39% more time spent while gazing at the screen but provided a 10% reduction in the total number of headturns. Based on the participant comments, 80% of whom opted for the non-photo enhanced method, we concluded that the cognitive load brought on by the photo-enhancement is not worth the return.