Clarity of View: An AHP-Based Multi-Factor Evaluation Framework for Driver Awareness Systems in Heavy Vehicles

One of the most difficult aspects of any new human-machine interface development is that of evaluating the user’s subjective reaction to the system. In some cases, fears about the usability of a new technology may actually prevent its approval for use due to the perception of potential risk. This is especially true in the automotive industry where driver interface design directly affects safety. In this case study, a new evaluation framework is presented: Clarity of View. It incorporates both the results of the industrypublished methods for evaluating a rearview vision system and combine with it additional new factors that contain both subjective perception and quantitative elements. This AHP based evaluation framework is more closely aligned with the actual decision making process of fleet owners in the trucking industry who are often bombarded with information about potential new safety technology for their fleets, but may otherwise have had a difficult time sorting through the many dissimilar elements of information. This case study serves as a potential model not only for other driver interface systems within the automotive industry, but for any industry that needs to consider both quantitative measures alongside subjective user perception in order to make a fully informed technology selection decisions.