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This document is the InCITIES project deliverable D3.1 - Analysis of HRS4R guidelines, strategies, and practices. It has been prepared at the kick-off workshop for WP3, which took place on November 22nd at TH Köln. The analysis was prepared institution-specific referring to the 40 principles of Charter and Code using the template provided by the EU Commission for the HRS4R analysis (in order to apply for the HRS4R award).

Driving automation has become a trending topic over the past decade, as recent technical and technological improvements have created hope for a possible short-term release of partially automated vehicles. Several research teams have been exploring driver performance during control transitions performed under highly automated driving (i.e., while resuming manual driving, when facing a critical situation for instance). In this paper, we present a state of the art of studies dealing with control transitions as well as the concept of non-driving-related task (NDRT) engagement. More specifically, we aim to provide a global view on how task engagement is investigated in the literature. Two main utilisations of task engagement emerged from our literature review: its manipulation as independent variable to vary the driver’s engagement state before a control transition, and its measurement as dependent variable to compare its variation to driving behaviour variables during a control transition. Furthermore, we propose a new perspective on control transition, which was so far studied through a techno-centric approach; research works were indeed designed in function of the system state. Our article suggests a more cognitive-centred view by taking in account the evolution of engagement mechanisms along control transition stages. Finally, we provide a categorisation of engagement mechanisms’ variables involved during these different stages, with a view to facilitate future investigations on the driver’s engagement state during this crucial phase of highly automated driving.

The aim of this study was to analyse the difficulties experienced by older drivers during their regular driving, and to identify their needs and their expectations regarding Advanced Driving Aid Systems (ADAS) and vehicle automation. More than 100 items were investigated by using a Focus Group method based on a Collective Questionnaire (named FoG-CoQS). Thirty elderly drivers, 15 females and 15 males aged from 70 to 81 years (mean age of 73.3; S.D. = 3.18) were recruited among a representative sample of 76 older drivers living in the Rhone area and having previously participated to an on-road experiment, in order to collect from this Focus Group method further information about the driving difficulties they experienced in their everyday life and their expectations towards driving aids. Seven main topics were more particularly investigated, recovering at last all the main dimensions of the driving task (from navigation to speed control, through intersection crossing). Regarding driving difficulties, one of the most interesting result collected is the high contrast between the literature review, identifying Left Turn (LT) manoeuvres at crossroads as a risky driving situation for elderly drivers, and the relatively low values of perceived difficulties (i.e. compared to other driving sub-tasks) collected during this Focus Group among our sample of older drivers. Regarding the driving aid functions investigated, 10 of them obtained high scores of “perceived utility” (i.e. overpassing 60% on scales ranging from 0% [no utility] to 100% [high utility]), and they concerned assistances liable to support all the main components of the driving task investigated in this study. Additional results are related to the differences between the elderly female and male drivers. Several driving situations were assessed as significantly more difficult to perform by the older female than by the older male drivers, like intersection crossing, entering expressways, or implementing a lane change manoeuver. By contrast, this gender effect is more limited regarding driving aids: synthetically, men and women have a positive attitude towards driving aid systems and their expectations for future ADAS are quite similar (for instance, “informative systems” are preferred than driving aids based on “vehicle automation”). Finally, from two transversal items (i.e. “difficulties” to perform a driving sub-task and “perceived utility” of ADAS), it was possible to rank older drivers’ difficulties experienced during their everyday life (from lowest difficulties to “navigate on a familiar itinerary” to highest when “interacting with bicyclists”) and their expectations towards driving aids (from lowest utility score given to “Automatic Lane Change systems” to highest utility value provided to “Speed Informer systems”). At last, older drivers’ acceptance and expectations towards highly automated cars was also investigated: full automation was assessed as an interesting solution to ensure the self-mobility of elderly peoples in their circle, but also for themselves in the future, in case of impairments of their own cognitive or physical capacities.

The French ministry responsible for transport has commissioned a study aimed at providing data to determine the maximum gap size between vehicle and platform for guided transport vehicles, which would become a legal requirement. Specific experimental conditions were created, with a physical mock-up simulating a tramway and a platform and providing several gap configurations (between 20 and 50 mm for the vertical gap and between 20 and 75 mm for the horizontal step), and an experimental design based on the negotiation of gaps by wheelchairs users (mainly manual or electric powered). The experiment was conducted with 46 participants with different functional abilities. Data were collected on performance and gap negotiation time. The results of this study indicate that despite the failures observed for the 50 × 50 mm gap size during the experiment, most wheelchair users who took part in the test have successfully negotiated this gap.; Le ministère français en charge des transports a commandé une étude visant à fournir des données permettant de déterminer l'écart maximum entre le Îhicule et le quai pour les transports guidés, appelé à devenir une prescription légale. Une expérimentation a été élaborée, avec la conception d'une maquette physique simulant un tramway et un quai, avec plusieurs configurations de lacune (entre 20 et 50 mm en vertical, entre 20 et 75 mm en horizontal). Le protocole expérimental a consisté à faire franchir les seuils par des personnes à mobilité réduite. Les 46 participants (principalement des utilisateurs de fauteuils roulants manuels ou électriques) avaient des capacités fonctionnelles variées. Les données recueillies ont porté sur la réussite et le temps de franchissement de la lacune. Les résultats de l'étude montrent que malgré les échecs obserÎs pour la lacune 50 x 50 mm au cours de l'expérimentation, la plupart des participants utilisateurs de fauteuils roulants ont réussi le franchissement de cette lacune.

Background Although walking without vision seems to carry a high cognitive cost, few studies have measured the cognitive load involved in this activity in blind people. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive load of walking in blind people, using gait analysis, a dual task paradigm and a subjective assessment of cognitive load. Methods In a quantitative quasi-experimental design, 25 blind adults walked 40 meters. In one trial, participants walked normally (control condition). In another, they walked while performing an auditory simple reaction time task, and in the third trial they walked, performed the simple reaction time task and avoided obstacles. In addition to the simple reaction time task performance, walking speed was recorded, and participants provided a subjective assessment of cognitive load after each trial. Performance of participants aged less than 60 years were compared with those aged over than 60 years. Results Walking significantly reduced performance of the simple reaction time task; carrying out the simple reaction time task while walking significantly reduced walking performance and increased the subjective assessment of cognitive load; and simple reaction time task performance decreased and subjective assessment increased when obstacles were present. Few significant age effects were found. Significance Walking without vision involves a cognitive load that increases when the environment becomes complex. Each of the three methods used is relevant when assessing the cognitive load involved in walking in blind people, and could be useful in rehabilitation intervention. The results obtained allowed recommendations to be suggested for the design of technological mobility devices.

Autonomy and individual mobility of elders become a societal issue for many countries. However, driving is a complex and demanding activity, liable to generate potential risk for elder drivers whose perceptive, cognitive or motor capabilities have diminished with aging. In order to both maintain older driver's mobility and road safety for all, driving assistances offers a potential solution, providing a support for this group of drivers. In order to develop such systems, it is needed to observe and to analyze actual driving behaviours of older drivers in ecological driving conditions (using an instrumented vehicle on open roads within the traffic). This in depth investigation aims at identifying specific difficulties encountered by elders while driving in order to ergonomically specify and then to design future Elderly-Adapted Driving Assistance Systems (E-ADAS) based on monitoring functions technology for context-adaptive assistance. This paper introduces the Human Centered Design approach we implemented in this research and presents a first set of preliminary results in terms of in depth analysis of older drivers' activity which constitutes the first step towards the future ergonomic design of E-ADAS.; L'autonomie et la mobilité individuelle des personnes âgées représentent un enjeu sociétal important pour de nombreux pays. Or conduire est une activité complexe qui peut représenter un risque potentiel pour les conducteurs âgés, dont les capacités perceptives, cognitives ou motrices ont décliné. Pour maintenir la mobilité des ainés tout en favorisant une sécurité routière pour tous, les systèmes d'assistance constituent une réponse potentielle au soutien de la conduite des conducteurs âgés. Pour concevoir de tels systèmes, il est nécessaire d'observer et d'analyser l'activité de conduite des âgés en situation naturelle (au volant d'un véhicule instrumenté évoluant dans la circulation, sur route ouverte). Cette investigation vise à identifier des difficultés rencontrées sur la route par ces conducteurs, afin de spécifier ergonomiquement puis de concevoir des systèmes d'assistance adaptés aux besoins réels de cette population, en s'appuyant notamment sur des fonctions de « monitorage » permettant d'apporter une aide adaptée au contexte de conduite. Cet article introduit cette méthode de « Conception Centrée sur l'Humain » mise en place dans le cadre de cette recherche, et illustre notre démarche (aux moyens d'exemples concrets) d'analyse fine de l'activité de conduite des conducteurs âgés, à des futures fins de conception ergonomique de systèmes d'aide à la conduite adaptés aux besoins spécifiques des séniors.

Objective Driving activity requires major involvement of executive functions. The main objective of our study was to determine whether mental flexibility and the updating of information in working memory are affected in drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson9s disease (PD). Methods The study included 25 patients, aged 58–76, with mild to moderate PD and 25 healthy controls matched for age, sex and education, with an average mileage of over 3000 km/year. Neuropsychological tests were conducted to assess global cognitive abilities, to evaluate updating (via the n-back task), flexibility (via the plus–minus task) and information-processing speed (via the Stroop test). Three different scenarios were developed on a driving simulator. Participants were asked to recall road signs (updating task), indicate the shape or colour of road signs according to road side (flexibility task) and to brake at the same time as the car ahead (information-processing speed task) while driving. Results An updating impairment was found in PD patients in the n-back and simulator tasks; patients recalled significantly fewer road signs. No notable differences were observed between groups in the plus–minus task or in the simulator task evaluating flexibility. There was no significant difference between patients and controls in information-processing speed tasks. Regression analysis showed that the Trail-Making test (B-A) accounted for 40.7% of the variation in PD drivers9 simulator task updating score. Conclusion The updating function is clearly impaired in drivers with mild to moderate PD, while mental flexibility remains unaffected. This study demonstrates the interest of using the Trail Making Test and simulator tasks to assess PD drivers.

Resume Introduction L’alteration du controle executif est une caracteristique essentielle du vieillissement normal. Miyake et al. [ Cogn Psychol 41 (2000) 49–100] ont modelise le systeme executif comme un ensemble de trois composantes essentielles : l’inhibition des informations non pertinentes, la mise a jour en memoire de travail et la flexibilite mentale. Toutefois, les tâches generalement utilisees pour evaluer le controle executif sont des tâches d’un haut niveau de complexite qui ne permettent pas facilement d’isoler les processus executifs specifiquement impliques. L’objectif de ce travail est de determiner, a l’aide d’une batterie de tests simples, le profil de l’atteinte du controle executif, et plus particulierement de ces trois composantes, au cours du vieillissement normal. Methode Les performances de 30 jeunes adultes et 29 âges sur une batterie de tests executifs [ Rev Neuropsychol 11 (2001) 383–433] ont ete evaluees et comparees. Resultats Les performances des sujets âges etaient alterees par rapport a celles des jeunes sur la plupart des tests executifs selectionnes. En ce qui concerne les trois composantes executives, les performances au test de Stroop et au test de n-back etaient alterees dans le vieillissement, mais pas celles du Plus-Minus Test (PMT). Conclusions Les resultats indiquent que les trois composantes executives ne subissent pas les effets du vieillissement de maniere identique. Cette etude apporte donc des elements de comprehension des mecanismes d’evolution du systeme executif au cours du vieillissement normal.

This article reports on an experiment conducted in a complex underground station with 33 participants (13 blind and 20 partially sighted) who used an infrared verbal guidance system in combination with a tactile guidance surface system and 32 participants (14 blind and 18 partially sighted) who used an infrared verbal guidance system alone. Performance of the participants was assessed by the time taken to complete the trip and the number of pauses they made. Feedback from the participants was also recorded. The results showed that the use of the two guidance devices together led to a decrease in the time needed to complete the trip and reduced the difficulties of using the verbal guidance system. The participants reported their satisfaction when using the two devices and highlighted the necessity of avoiding cognitive overload in the design of orientation systems.

Adaptation to blindness can lead to the enhancement of the attentional capacities and working memory in young people. However, although the effects of ageing on the cognition of sighted people and people with age-related visual impairments are well-documented, no study seems to have investigated the age-related changes of these cognitive processes in people who are blind. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of age on the attentional processes and working memory in blind people.A cross-sectional study was conducted on 43 blind participants and 42 sighted participants. The participants performed auditory computerized tests assessing selective, sustained and divided attention, attentional switching, and working memory.Two-way analysis of variance revealed significant visual status effect and age effect on most of the variables studied. No interaction was found between visual status and age effects.These results suggest that the trajectories of cognitive age-related change are similar in blind people and in sighted people. This study has implications for rehabilitation, such as cognitive intervention. Implications for Rehabilitation Blind people show improved attentional capacities compared to sighted people, even in old blind people. Old blind people have lower performances than younger blind people in tests assessing selective, sustained and divided attention, and working memory. Cognitive approaches to rehabilitation may help people who are blind to deal with age-related cognitive decline and its effects on everyday functioning. A high level of cognitive stimulation, provided by a cognitive training or a developed social participation, might reduce the age-related effects in people who are blind.

Aims: Our purpose was to explore the effect of navigation instruction on older drivers' driving performance at left turn intersections. Left turns at intersections are particularly complex because they require many perceptive and cognitive abilities under considerable time pressure. Methods: Fifty-four participants were recruited: 18 drivers with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD),18 neurologically healthy older drivers and 18 younger individuals. Various cognitive processes were measured, and 9 left turn maneuvers with or without navigation instruction were evaluated during an in-traffic road test. The psychomotor, planning and decision-making components involved in left turn were also analyzed closely. Results: Only older drivers (both healthy drivers and those with AD) were negatively affected by navigation instruction during the maneuver. The planning and decision-making components were more likely to be affected by the navigation instruction. Conclusion: This finding highlights the importance of carefully considering the use of navigation instructions when developing navigation systems. Adapting this instruction is necessary to simplify our understanding of the real-world driving environment and to avoid increasing the cognitive load of older drivers.

Resume Cet article pose, dans une premiere partie, le probleme du lien entre les troubles attentionnels et le risque d’accident de la circulation chez les personnes presentant une pathologie dementielle et plus particulierement debutant une maladie d’Alzheimer. Dans une seconde partie, il presente les objectifs et la methodologie de l’etude SEROVIE (Securite routiere et vieillissement) dont les resultats sont en cours d’analyse. Des etudes de deux types sont conjointement menees, l’une de type experimental, l’autre de type cohorte. L’etude experimentale de type exposes/non-exposes au deficit attentionnel consiste a etudier la relation entre les deficits attentionnels et les capacites de conduite, evaluees par une epreuve de conduite sur route proposee a quatre-vingts sujets. L’etude de cohorte, realisee sur mille cinq cents sujets, a pour but d’etudier le role des deficits attentionnels sur le risque d’accident par rapport aux autres facteurs. En effet, il s’agit d’identifier a partir de quel niveau de ralentissement cognitif et de deficit attentionnel les sujets presentent un risque d’accident. Cette recherche devrait deboucher sur la mise au point d’outils simples permettant de reperer les sujets qui ont atteint le niveau de deterioration des processus attentionnels au-dela duquel il serait risque de continuer a conduire.

Pour une mobilité sure et durable des conducteurs âgés Quelles relations entre les auto-estimations de la cognition et de la capacité de conduite ? Aider les conducteurs les plus âgés à garder leur mobilité sans augmenter le risque d'accident est un défi majeur à relever. Il s'agit là de maintenir la conduite aussi longtemps qu'il est raisonnable compte tenu de l'état cognitif et, dans le même temps, d'aider les personnes âgées à prendre conscience de la réduction de certaines de leurs performances cognitives, et à mettre en place une régulation adaptée de la conduite. L'hypothèse de SAFE MOVE est qu'une bonne auto estimation de ses capacités cognitives est nécessaire pour adapter ses habitudes de conduite aux changements liés au vieillissement. Si certains conducteurs prennent conscience de la réduction de leurs performances cognitives et régulent leur activité de conduite de façon adaptée, d'autres n'en sont pas capables et surestiment leurs capacités, conduisent d'une manière qui peut surpasser leurs capacités réelles. SAFE MOVE avait comme objectifs d'étudier les liens entre l'auto-estimation des capacités cognitives et de conduite des personnes âgées, l'impact des programmes de stimulations cognitives accompagnées ou non de séances de conduite sur simulateur et enfin l'apport des technologies embarquées de type ADAS permettant le monitoring de l'activité du conducteur. L'approche pluridisciplinaire de SAFE MOVE combinant l'épidémiologie, la psychologie Cognitive, l'Ergonomie, l'Ingénierie Cognitive et l'Ingénierie Plusieurs avancées méthodologiques importantes ont été réalisées à l'occasion de ce projet : - une cohorte de 1204 conducteurs âgés de plus de 70 ans, avec un recueil initial très complet grâce à des entretiens en face à face avec un psychologue et un suivi à deux ans par voie postale. - une expérimentation sur route avec 145 conducteurs visant à déterminer trois profils de conducteurs : ceux qui surestiment, sous-estiment ou estiment correctement leurs capacités de conduite à partir d'une double évaluation objective de leur performance de conduite (moniteur auto-école et observateur dans le véhicule) - l'évaluation de l'impact d'un programme d'entrainement cognitif pur comparé à un entrainement cognitif associé à des exercices sur simulateur auprès de 100 conducteurs de 70 ans et plus surestimant ou sous-estimant leurs capacités cognitives. - Le développement de fonctions de monitoring basé sur les données collectées à bord d'un véhicule instrumenté immergé dans le trafic, auprès d'un panel de 76 conducteurs âgés surestimant et sous-estimant leurs capacités cognitives. - Le développement de deux démonstrateurs, l'un sur simulateur de conduite et l'autre sur véhicule Résultats majeurs du projet (environ 600 caractères espaces compris) Les résultats obtenus ont confirmé que l'auto-estimation cognitive était déterminée par des variables de personnalité, de genre, de mode de vie et qu'elle était bien reliée à l'auto estimation de la performance de conduite. Cette auto-estimation cognitive présente un caractère dynamique car elle peut être modulée par un training cognitif, même aspécifique, surtout chez les conducteurs sous estimateurs. La spécification, la conception et le développement de démonstrateurs de fonctions d'assistances pour les séniors sur simulateur et sur véhicule réel réalisés dans ce projet ont démontré l'intérêt des conducteurs âgés pour ces technologies et identifié les situations critiques pour lesquelles une aide serait utile.

Against the background of an ageing population, the management of older people׳s safe mobility is becoming an increasingly important issue. Mobility is vital for older people׳s quality of life and several examples of good practice that support older people׳s safe mobility already exist. However, the older population is increasingly diverse and its different segments have different mobility needs and expectations. This paper has reviewed practices to manage older people׳s safe mobility and identified 29 examples of good practice which fall into six categories. The different kinds of practices were assessed with regard to their suitability for different segments of the older population as identified in previous studies. In addition, we considered whether the needs of certain segments remain unmet. Our study found that most practices target individuals with mobility restrictions and mainly attract groups who are already users and improve their (safe) use of the preferred transport mode. However, they do not seem to succeed in increasing mobility options, e.g. by encouraging car-reliant users to cycle or use public transport or by helping older women to continue to drive. We advise that existing practices should more directly target those segments that would benefit from them the most and be adapted more specifically to these segments׳ needs and preferences. We have identified a complete failure to provide awareness programs to inform older users about the potential benefits of driver assistance systems, a lack of programmes to increase perceived security, as well as a comprehensive scheme for older drivers who have to stop driving.

Although attentional processes and working memory seem to be significantly involved in the daily activities (particularly during navigating) of persons who are blind and who use these abilities to compensate for their lack of vision, few studies have investigated these mechanisms in this population. The aim of this study is to evaluate the selective, sustained and divided attention, attentional inhibition and switching and working memory of blind persons. Early blind, late blind and sighted participants completed neuropsychological tests that were designed or adapted to be achievable in the absence of vision. The results revealed that the early blind participants outperformed the sighted ones in selective, sustained and divided attention and working memory tests, and the late blind participants outperformed the sighted participants in selective, sustained and divided attention. However, no differences were found between the blind groups and the sighted group in the attentional inhibition and switching tests. Furthermore, no differences were found between the early and late blind participants in this set of tests. These results suggest that early and late blind persons can compensate for the lack of vision by an enhancement of the attentional and working memory capacities.

The aim of the Investigation into the Employment of Handicapped Persons in the Maritime Industry (the HANDIAMI project funded by the European Commission DG VII Task 38 Waterborne Transport) is to produce a number of concrete recommendations concerning the safety (evacuation procedures) of passengers on board car ferries who are elderly or have disabilities, and the accessibility available to them. A discussion is presented on issues concerning the main differences between high-speed and traditional ferries and the safety management of passengers in an emergency situation. There is a concentration on how an evacuation of elderly or disabled passengers is carried out. The approach used was based on focus groups, interviews, and observations. That led to a cross analysis of ship equipment and passengers’ functional abilities to highlight situations in which the crew will have to help compensate. Results are presented in tables that identify the independent relationship between functional disabilities and the ship’s infrastructure. The study undertaken showed that the safe evacuation of elderly and disabled passengers can be achieved through coordination of design, deployments, and training. Means of evacuation should be considered at the concept design stage, deployments should include representative sample populations including elderly and disabled passengers, and dedicated staff should be trained to specifically meet the needs of these passengers and to provide for their safe evacuation.

International audience; Autonomy and individual mobility of elders becomes a societal issue for many countries. Thus, driving is a complex and demanding task, liable to generate specific driving errors and difficulties for a safe driving, even more for elders. In order to both maintain older drivers mobility and to avoid such road safety risks, a solution concerns driving assistances development, providing a technological support for this group of drivers. In this frame, it is needed to observe and to analyse actual driving behaviours and specific difficulties of older drivers in ecological driving conditions, using an instrumented vehicle on open roads. The aim is then to ergonomically specify and design future Senior-Adapted Driving Assistance Systems (S-ADAS) based on monitoring functions embedding driver's activity model within the technology for adaptive Human Machine Cooperation. This paper introduces the Human Centered Design approach we implemented and presents preliminary results in terms of in depth analysis of older drivers' activity which constitutes the first step towards S-ADAS.

Resume Cel article presente une partie des resultats obtenus par le project biovam , qui traite problěmes rencontres par les personnes deficientes visuelles, lorsqu'elles effectuent un deplacement en transport collectif en utilisant des moyens de transport comme le bus, le metro ou le train. Le projet Biovam regroupe une equipe de recherche specialisee dans l'accessibilite des transport aux personnes handicapees, des intructeurs de locomotion pour personnes deficientes visuelles et deux operateurs de transports collectifs ( ratp et sncf ). L'approche suive par le projet biovam comprend une phase d'enquete, destinee a identifier les difficultes rencontrees par les personnes deficientes visuelles, et un etat des lieux des dispositifs techniques qui pourraient alleger ces difficultes. Cet article apporte un eclairage particulier sur la situation du transport en train, qui presenteune specificite par rapport aux autres modes de transport, notamment en termes de frequence d'utilisation, de duree de trajet, d'infrastructure et de meteriel roulant. Les resultats presentes conduisent a un certain nombre de recommandations, ainsi qu a la definition d'un programme d'experimentation qui a fait l'objet d'un nouveau soutien du predit .

An experiment on the usability assessment of various control interfaces of an in-vehicle Internet browser, was carried out on the Renault driving simulator with a fictional web site that offers services such as: district map, route planning, electronic messaging, leisure programs, and phone directory. Twenty seven subjects aged from 26 to 69 years carried out this experiment; while performing a car-following task they manipulated an in-car web site by using three control devices: a keyboard, a touchpad, and a voice command. In the quantitative part of the experiment, subjects performed tasks such as writing names, selecting items and moving a cursor on a map, using the keyboard or the touchpad. In the qualitative part, subjects used the in-vehicle web service in a realistic scenario and were allowed to choose the control devices they wanted (voice, touchpad or keyboard). Assessment criteria were speed, distance to the target vehicle, lane position, visual activity, action on the system, operating time, error rate and post trial questionnaire. Based on these criteria, the results showed that browsing while driving seems to remain both complicated and dangerous even when using a simplified browser. However, the results also indicated that, depending on the type of tasks, the different control modes did not have the same efficiency.

Presented are results of the BIOVAM project in France concerning the problems experienced by the visually impaired who use public transportation, such as buses, subways, and trains. The project focused on information gathering and orientation processes in the public transportation context. The BIOVAM approach uses a questionnaire survey to identify the main difficulties that public transportation users with visual impairment must manage. The approach includes a review of promising devices that could reduce these difficulties, such as personal information systems and tactile pavements. An overview of the results obtained from the survey is presented, addressing the use of buses and subways. The main technical solutions considered by the project are described, and the research protocols that are to be used in the field experiments are presented. The results of the BIOVAM project could be used to make concrete recommendations to include the specific needs of travelers with visual impairment in the design of a public transport infrastructure.

Resume Cet article traite de certaines difficultes que peuvent rencontrer des personnes handicapees lors de l'utilisation d'Internet dans un contexte d'information sur les transports. Les exemples choisis comme illustrations sont issus du projef europeen TELSCAN du quatrieme Programme cadre de recherche et developpement et concernent plus particulierement les personnes malentendantes ou deficientes visuelles. L'analyse ergonomique de l'activite d'utilisation de serveurs Internet par des personnes presentant, soit un handicap auditif, soit un handicap visuel, montre l'importance de la structure semantique des informations presentees, ainis que de la logique des procedures necessaires a la recherche d'informations. Cependant, les series d'observations effectuees indiquent qu. Internet est malgre tour une source d'information tres interessante pour les voyageurs handicapes.

Second International Symposium on Future Active Safety Technology toward zero-traffic-accident - JSAE 2013, NAGOYA, JAPON, 22-/09/2013 - 01/01/1970; Faced with the aging of the population, it is crucial for older drivers to keep driving in order to ensure their mobility and autonomy in daily life as long as possible. Driving is an important aspect of maintaining mobility and independence in older adults. Driving is a complex task, requiring a range of visual, psychomotor and cognitive abilities. As people aged, a number of physical and cognitive changes, as well as health problems, may affect driving ability. The regulation of driving activity according to one's actual motor, visual and cognitive state is crucial for continuing to drive in a safe manner, for maintaining mobility and autonomy and for reducing accident risk. The SafeMove project is based on the hypothesis that a correct estimation of one's driving ability is necessary to drive safely in older drivers. A review of the literature on self-assessment of situations/scenarios that are challenging for older drivers was carried out. Two cohort studies were conducted (Sweden and France) to identify determinants of driving regulation, i.e. factors leading to under- and overestimation of cognitive performances and driving ability. On-road tests with a sub-set (approx. 40) of the respondents were performed in Sweden and will be performed in France. These results will together with a review of older driver training literature be used for the design of driving simulator-based training (DSBT) curricula which will primarily be evaluated with volunteers from the on-road tests. Furthermore, a current state-of-the-art and literature review of critical driving assistance systems for older drivers was carried out with the objective develop a Driver-Vehicle Interaction System (DVIS) to monitor and control assistance systems according to driver's needs. The presentation will give an overview of the whole project.

Ce rapport est le livrable du work package 4 du projet CONSOL. L'objectif de ce workpackage était de cartographier les acteurs en charge des questions de mobilité et de sécurité des usagers de la route seniors, dans sept pays européens: Autriche, République tchèque, Danemark, France, Espagne, Suède et Royaume-Uni. Les résultats des analyses menées sont décrits dans des chapitres distincts pour chaque pays et résumées et comparées dans le dernier chapitre.

Après avoir donné des éléments utiles à la compréhension de la problématique des situations de handicap dans les transports, nous montrons comment cet objet de recherche peut être appréhendé, avec l'évocation des méthodologies que nous utilisons et de quelques-uns de nos projets de recherche.

Aims: Our purpose was to identify cognitive tools associated with unsafe driving among elderly drivers of varying cognitive levels. Methods: Twenty drivers with early-stage dementia of the Alzheimer type and 56 nondemented drivers aged 65–85 were recruited. Various cognitive processes were measured and unsafe driving was evaluated during an in-traffic road test with 3 different indicators and a composite indicator. Results: The Wechsler Digit Symbol Substitution Test score was the best cognitive measure to detect unsafe drivers using the composite driving indicator. Conclusion: The Digit Symbol Substitution Test may be used by physicians for the evaluation and follow-up of older patients, with or without Alzheimer-type dementia, as a screening tool of unsafe driving.

A study was conducted to analyze the behavioral and visual strategies of drivers observed through videotape recordings which took into account subject gaze movements and field of view. Driver performance was evaluated in terms of the total time from starting point to destination and the number of navigational errors. Analysis showed that aging drivers modified their visual strategies under guidance. The duration and frequency of glances toward the navigational system were higher for the elderly in comparison with young adults, indicating a noticeable decrease in the time spent looking at the road. Compared with a paper map, the guidance system was found to lead to fewer navigational errors, less loss of time for environmental landmark search, and shorter route completion time. >

ACCESS 2 ALL aims at defining concrete mobility schemes, guidelines and policy recommendations, ensuring accessibility of PT for all users through the coordination of current research efforts, the production of common research roadmaps, the identification of best practice models and the appropriate use of ICT aids and networks.

Sont présentés ici la problématique générale de la question de la mobilité des personnes en situation de handicap, ses objectifs ainsi que la méthodologie que nous adoptons, puis quelques résultats que nous avons obtenus sur la mobilité et les pratiques de déplacement des personnes en situation de handicap dans les transports.

The main objective of this PhD work was (1) to investigate some cognitive processes in the population of blind individuals and (2) to determine the involvement of these processes in their pedestrian mobility. Demographic factors, such as the age, the age of blindness onset, and the type of mobility aid were studied. Three studies were conducted. The first experiment consisted of assessing 63 blind participants and 42 age-matched sighted participants with a battery of neuropsychological tests. The results showed that blind participants had better performances than sighted participants in tests assessing attentional and working memory functions. Among blind participants, blind participants aged 60 years or older had poorer performances than those of younger blind participants. Findings revealed a detrimental effect of age on neuropsychological performances in blind participants. However, performances of blind participants aged 60 years or older were better than those of sighted participants. The second experiment aimed to study the cognitive load involved in the walking activity of blind individuals. In a controlled environment, 25 blind participants, using a white cane, performed walking trials while executing a secondary task. Findings revealed that the walking activity of blind participants was not impaired by the secondary task. This result suggests that the participants had good abilities to share their attention between two tasks. Participants performed significantly worse the secondary task when increasing the complexity of the walking activity. Participants also reported greater cognitive load while walking and simultaneously performing the secondary task. In addition, the attentional capacities of blind people (measured in the first experiment) had a significant effect on their performances at this second experiment. Similar to the second study, a third experiment was conducted with 13 blind participants using a guide dog. The results suggest that the guide dogs facilitated the walking of participants and reduced the cognitive load involved in the walking in comparison with the participants of the second experiment. Taken together, these results highlight the major role of attention in the mobility of blind individuals. This research offers interesting possibilities of improvement in the mobility of blind people, in terms of rehabilitation and technological applications., L'objectif de ce travail de thèse était d'appréhender certains des mécanismes cognitifs peu étudiés dans la population des personnes aveugles, et leur rôle dans la réalisation sécurisée et efficiente de leurs déplacements, en prenant en compte certains facteurs individuels (dont l'âge, l'antériorité de la cécité et l'aide à la mobilité utilisée). Une première expérimentation comprenait une évaluation neuropsychologique réalisée auprès de 63 participants aveugles et 42 participants voyants. Les résultats ont montré que les participants aveugles obtenaient des performances d'attention et de mémoire de travail supérieures à celles des participants voyants. Parmi les participants aveugles, les personnes de plus de 60 ans avaient des performances inférieures à celles des participants aveugles de moins de 60 ans. Néanmoins, les performances des personnes aveugles de plus de 60 ans étaient tout de même supérieures à celles des participants voyants du même âge. Une deuxième expérimentation visait à explorer la charge cognitive induite par la marche des personnes aveugles. Dans un environnement contrôlé, 25 participants aveugles se déplaçant à l'aide d'une canne blanche ont réalisé des essais de marche en effectuant simultanément une tâche secondaire. L'observation de l'activité de la marche ainsi que l'analyse des paramètres de marche ont réÎlé que cette activité n'était pas modifiée par la réalisation de la tâche secondaire. Ces résultats suggèrent que les participants ont eu de bonnes capacités à partager leur attention entre les deux tâches. L'analyse de la performance à la tâche secondaire et des réponses à une évaluation de la charge mentale subjective a indiqué que le déplacement des personnes aveugles induisait une charge cognitive, d'autant plus importante lorsque l'environnement est rendu complexe (avec la présence d'obstacles). De plus, alors que les capacités attentionnelles des participants (mesurées dans la première étude) se sont réÎlées avoir un effet significatif sur leurs performances à cette seconde expérimentation, aucun effet de l'âge n'a été mis en évidence. Dans une troisième expérimentation, la seconde étude a été répliquée auprès de 13 participants aveugles accompagnés d'un chien-guide. Les résultats suggèrent que l'animal facilite le déplacement de la personne qu'il accompagne et diminue la charge cognitive du déplacement. L'ensemble de ces résultats met en évidence le rôle primordial de l'attention dans la réalisation des déplacements piétons chez les personnes aveugles et permet de proposer des pistes pour améliorer leur mobilité, notamment en termes de remédiation, de réadaptation et d'applications technologiques.

The main objective of this PhD work was (1) to investigate some cognitive processes in the population of blind individuals and (2) to determine the involvement of these processes in their pedestrian mobility. Demographic factors, such as the age, the age of blindness onset, and the type of mobility aid were studied. Three studies were conducted. The first experiment consisted of assessing 63 blind participants and 42 age-matched sighted participants with a battery of neuropsychological tests. The results showed that blind participants had better performances than sighted participants in tests assessing attentional and working memory functions. Among blind participants, blind participants aged 60 years or older had poorer performances than those of younger blind participants. Findings revealed a detrimental effect of age on neuropsychological performances in blind participants. However, performances of blind participants aged 60 years or older were better than those of sighted participants. The second experiment aimed to study the cognitive load involved in the walking activity of blind individuals. In a controlled environment, 25 blind participants, using a white cane, performed walking trials while executing a secondary task. Findings revealed that the walking activity of blind participants was not impaired by the secondary task. This result suggests that the participants had good abilities to share their attention between two tasks. Participants performed significantly worse the secondary task when increasing the complexity of the walking activity. Participants also reported greater cognitive load while walking and simultaneously performing the secondary task. In addition, the attentional capacities of blind people (measured in the first experiment) had a significant effect on their performances at this second experiment. Similar to the second study, a third experiment was conducted with 13 blind participants using a guide dog. The results suggest that the guide dogs facilitated the walking of participants and reduced the cognitive load involved in the walking in comparison with the participants of the second experiment. Taken together, these results highlight the major role of attention in the mobility of blind individuals. This research offers interesting possibilities of improvement in the mobility of blind people, in terms of rehabilitation and technological applications, L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était d’appréhender certains des mécanismes cognitifs peu étudiés dans la population des personnes aveugles, et leur rôle dans la réalisation sécurisée et efficiente de leurs déplacements, en prenant en compte certains facteurs individuels (dont l’âge, l’antériorité de la cécité et l’aide à la mobilité utilisée). Une première expérimentation comprenait une évaluation neuropsychologique réalisée auprès de 63 participants aveugles et 42 participants voyants. Les résultats ont montré que les participants aveugles obtenaient des performances d’attention et de mémoire de travail supérieures à celles des participants voyants. Parmi les participants aveugles, les personnes de plus de 60 ans avaient des performances inférieures à celles des participants aveugles de moins de 60 ans. Néanmoins, les performances des personnes aveugles de plus de 60 ans étaient tout de même supérieures à celles des participants voyants du même âge. Une deuxième expérimentation visait à explorer la charge cognitive induite par la marche des personnes aveugles. Dans un environnement contrôlé, 25 participants aveugles se déplaçant à l’aide d’une canne blanche ont réalisé des essais de marche en effectuant simultanément une tâche secondaire. L’observation de l’activité de la marche ainsi que l’analyse des paramètres de marche ont révélé que cette activité n’était pas modifiée par la réalisation de la tâche secondaire. Ces résultats suggèrent que les participants ont eu de bonnes capacités à partager leur attention entre les deux tâches. L’analyse de la performance à la tâche secondaire et des réponses à une évaluation de la charge mentale subjective a indiqué que le déplacement des personnes aveugles induisait une charge cognitive, d’autant plus importante lorsque l’environnement est rendu complexe (avec la présence d’obstacles). De plus, alors que les capacités attentionnelles des participants (mesurées dans la première étude) se sont révélées avoir un effet significatif sur leurs performances à cette seconde expérimentation, aucun effet de l’âge n’a été mis en évidence. Dans une troisième expérimentation, la seconde étude a été répliquée auprès de 13 participants aveugles accompagnés d’un chien-guide. Les résultats suggèrent que l’animal facilite le déplacement de la personne qu’il accompagne et diminue la charge cognitive du déplacement. L’ensemble de ces résultats met en évidence le rôle primordial de l’attention dans la réalisation des déplacements piétons chez les personnes aveugles et permet de proposer des pistes pour améliorer leur mobilité, notamment en termes de remédiation, de réadaptation et d’applications technologiques.