Augmented reality HUD vs. conventional HUD to perform a navigation task in a complex driving situation

This study aims at investigating the added value of an augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) in relation to a conventional head-up display (C-HUD) to perform navigation tasks in a complex road situation. The notion of complexity was defined according to two main factors: infrastructure and traffic. It was used to identify and select real road situations presenting different sources of complexity. This study focuses on one of these situations, which was reproduced on a simulator and broken down into three use cases. A total of 32 participants performed three navigation tasks, using the AR-HUD or the C-HUD. Both objective and subjective data were collected. Data analyses, using linear mixed model analyses of variance and multilevel logistic regression, indicate a slight advantage of the AR-HUD. Participants using the AR-HUD make fewer errors and drive faster on average. Moreover, the AR-HUD is assessed to be more useful and easier to understand than the C-HUD. However, this interface shows limitations, in particular because it does not enable drivers to anticipate the manoeuvre to be conducted. The study raises questions about the design of an instrument system that would help drivers not only identify, but also build a representation of a forthcoming manoeuvre to be performed.