An Eye-Fixation Related Electroencephalography Technique for Predicting Situation Awareness: Implications for Driver State Monitoring Systems

Objective This study developed a fixation-related electroencephalography band power (FRBP) approach for situation awareness (SA) assessment in automated driving. Background Maintaining good SA in Level 3 automated vehicles is crucial to drivers' takeover performance when the automated system fails. A multimodal fusion approach that enables the analysis of the visual behavioral and cognitive processes of SA can facilitate real-time assessment of SA in future driver state monitoring systems. Method Thirty participants performed three simulated automated driving tasks. After each task, the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT) was deployed to capture their SA about key elements that could affect their takeover task performance. Participants eye movements and brain activities were recorded. Data on their brain activity after each eye fixation on the key elements were extracted and labeled according to the correctness of the SAGAT. Mixed-effects models were used to identify brain regions that were indicative of SA, and machine learning models for SA assessment were developed based on the identified brain regions. Results Participants’ alpha and theta oscillation at frontal and temporal areas are indicative of SA. In addition, the FRBP technique can be used to predict drivers’ SA with an accuracy of 88% using a neural network model. Conclusion The FRBP technique, which incorporates eye movements and brain activities, can provide more comprehensive evaluation of SA. Findings highlight the potential of utilizing FRBP to monitor drivers’ SA in real-time. Application The proposed framework can be expanded and applied to driver state monitoring systems to measure human SA in real-world driving.