Driver sensitivity to brake pulse duration and magnitude

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) requires that the driver intervene in situations that exceed the capability of ACC. A brake pulse might provide a particularly compatible means of alerting the driver to situations in which the acceleration authority of the ACC has been exceeded. This study examined the sensitivity of the driver to brake pulses of five different amplitudes (0.01-0.025 g) and five different durations (50-800 ms). Drivers were sensitive to accelerations as low as 0.015 g. Pulse duration interacted with pulse amplitude, such that moderate duration pulses were more detectable than long and short duration pulses at intermediate levels of pulse amplitude. A power function with an exponent of 1.0 accounted for 99% of the variance in drivers' sensitivity to pulse amplitude; however, a power function with an exponent of 0.23 accounted for only 70% of the variance in drivers' sensitivity to pulse duration. These results can help designers create ACC algorithms and develop brake pulse warnings.