| 1. |
- Ahlström, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Detecting sleepiness by Optalert : final report
- 2010
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many crashes with heavy vehicle can be attributed to driver sleepiness or driving impairment due to sleepiness, and it is important to find methods to predict those situations and counteract this problem. The Optalert fatigue management system claims to be able to detect sleepiness. The aims of this study are to (a) evaluate if Optalert can detect sleepiness equally well as other sleepiness indicators and (b) if the data patterns obtained by Optalert correlates with these other sleepiness indicators. Twelve sleep deprived truck drivers drove for about 90 minutes in an advanced moving base truck simulator. The experimental setup, including the sleep deprivation, was designed so that the drivers should become increasingly sleepier during the trial and the intention was that they should fall asleep during the experiment.Four different indicators of sleepiness or driving impairment due to sleepiness were used to monitor the state of the drivers; the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), the variability in lateral position (SDLP), the blink duration and the Optalert system. The results show that all four sleepiness indicators increased with time on task. An analysis of variance revealed that the changes were significant for KSS, blink duration and the Optalert system, and a correlation analysis showed that Optalert correlated significantly with blink duration and SDLP. However, even though these correlations were significant, they were all rather low with a maximum correlation coefficient of 0.24.In conclusion, the Optalert system is promising and the sleepiness rating provided by the system works at least equally well as the other three sleepiness indicators. There are some practical limitations to the system; there is no reliable threshold which can be used to determine when a driver is getting too sleepy to drive (this is also the case for other available sleepiness indicators), the driver needs to be attached to the vehicle via the spectacle frames and a wire, and the quality of the eye movement recordings often deteriorated when the driver started driving the truck. Moreover, during the experiment the technical reliability was sometimes low.
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| 2. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Development of sleepiness in professional truck drivers : Real‐road testing for driver drowsiness and attention warning (DDAW) system evaluation
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Sleep Research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1105 .- 1365-2869.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- All new vehicle types within the European Union must now be equipped with a driver drowsiness and attention warning system starting from 2022. The specific requirements for the test procedure necessary for type approval are defined in the Annex of EU Regulation C/2021/2639. The objectives of this study were to: (i) investigate how sleepiness develops in professional truck drivers under real-road driving conditions; and (ii) assess the feasibility of a test procedure for validating driver drowsiness and attention warning systems according to the EU regulation. Twenty-four professional truck drivers participated in the test. They drove for 180 km on a dual-lane motorway, first during daytime after a normal night's sleep and then at nighttime after being awake since early morning. The results showed higher sleepiness levels during nighttime driving compared with daytime, with a faster increase in sleepiness with distance driven, especially during the night. Psychomotor vigilance task results corroborated these findings. From a driver drowsiness and attention warning testing perspective, the study design with sleep-deprived drivers at night was successful in inducing the targeted sleepiness level of a Karolinska Sleepiness Scale score of ≥ 8. Many drivers who reported a Karolinska Sleepiness Scale ≥ 8 during the drives also acknowledged feeling sleepy in the post-drive questionnaire. Reaching high levels of sleepiness on real roads during daytime is more problematic, not the least from legal and ethical perspectives as higher traffic densities during the daytime lead to increased risks.
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| 3. |
- Ahlström, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of partially automated driving on the development of driver sleepiness
- 2021
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Ingår i: Accident Analysis and Prevention. - : Elsevier BV. - 0001-4575 .- 1879-2057. ; 153
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study was to compare the development of sleepiness during manual driving versus level 2 partially automated driving, when driving on a motorway in Sweden. The hypothesis was that partially auto-mated driving will lead to higher levels of fatigue due to underload. Eighty-nine drivers were included in the study using a 2 ? 2 design with the conditions manual versus partially automated driving and daytime (full sleep) versus night-time (sleep deprived). The results showed that night-time driving led to markedly increased levels of sleepiness in terms of subjective sleepiness ratings, blink durations, PERCLOS, pupil diameter and heart rate. Partially automated driving led to slightly higher subjective sleepiness ratings, longer blink durations, decreased pupil diameter, slower heart rate, and higher EEG alpha and theta activity. However, elevated levels of sleepiness mainly arose from the night-time drives when the sleep pressure was high. During daytime, when the drivers were alert, partially automated driving had little or no detrimental effects on driver fatigue. Whether the negative effects of increased sleepiness during partially automated driving can be compensated by the positive effects of lateral and longitudinal driving support needs to be investigated in further studies.
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| 4. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of the road environment on the development of driver sleepiness in young male drivers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Accident Analysis and Prevention. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0001-4575 .- 1879-2057. ; 112, s. 127-134
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Latent driver sleepiness may in some cases be masked by for example social interaction, stress and physical activity. This short-term modulation of sleepiness may also result from environmental factors, such as when driving in stimulating environments. The aim of this study is to compare two road environments and investigate how they affect driver sleepiness. Thirty young male drivers participated in a driving simulator experiment where they drove two scenarios: a rural environment with winding roads and low traffic density, and a suburban road with higher traffic density and a more built-up roadside environment. The driving task was essentially the same in both scenarios, i.e. to stay on the road, without much interaction with other road users. A 2 x 2 design, with the conditions rural versus suburban, and daytime (full sleep) versus night-time (sleep deprived), was used. The results show that there were only minor effects of the road environment on subjective and physiological indicators of sleepiness. In contrast, there was an increase in subjective sleepiness, longer blink durations and increased EEG alpha content, both due to time on task and to night-time driving. The two road environments differed both in terms of the demand on driver action and of visual load, and the results indicate that action demand is the more important of the two factors. The notion that driver fatigue should be countered in a more stimulating visual environment such as in the city is thus more likely due to increased task demand rather than to a richer visual scenery. This should be investigated in further studies.
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| 5. |
- Ahlström, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Fit-for-duty test for estimation of drivers sleepiness level: Eye movements improve the sleep/wake predictor
- 2013
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Ingår i: Transportation Research Part C. - : Elsevier. - 0968-090X .- 1879-2359. ; 26, s. 20-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Driver sleepiness contributes to a considerable proportion of road accidents, and a fit-for-duty test able to measure a drivers sleepiness level might improve traffic safety. The aim of this study was to develop a fit-for-duty test based on eye movement measurements and on the sleep/wake predictor model (SWP, which predicts the sleepiness level) and evaluate the ability to predict severe sleepiness during real road driving. Twenty-four drivers participated in an experimental study which took place partly in the laboratory, where the fit-for-duty data were acquired, and partly on the road, where the drivers sleepiness was assessed. A series of four measurements were conducted over a 24-h period during different stages of sleepiness. Two separate analyses were performed; a variance analysis and a feature selection followed by classification analysis. In the first analysis it was found that the SWP and several eye movement features involving anti-saccades, pro-saccades, smooth pursuit, pupillometry and fixation stability varied significantly with different stages of sleep deprivation. In the second analysis, a feature set was determined based on floating forward selection. The correlation coefficient between a linear combination of the acquired features and subjective sleepiness (Karolinska sleepiness scale, KSS) was found to be R = 0.73 and the correct classification rate of drivers who reached high levels of sleepiness (KSS andgt;= 8) in the subsequent driving session was 82.4% (sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 84.2% and AUC = 0.86). Future improvements of a fit-for-duty test should focus on how to account for individual differences and situational/contextual factors in the test, and whether it is possible to maintain high sensitive/specificity with a shorter test that can be used in a real-life environment, e.g. on professional drivers.
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| 6. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Local changes in the wake electroencephalogram precedes lane departures
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Sleep Research. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0962-1105 .- 1365-2869. ; 26:6, s. 816-819
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this exploratory study is to investigate if lane departures are associated with local sleep, measured via source-localized electroencephalography (EEG) theta power in the 5-9 Hz frequency range. Thirty participants drove in an advanced driving simulator, resulting in 135 lane departures at high levels of self-reported sleepiness. These lane departures were compared to matching non-departures at the same sleepiness level within the same individual. There was no correspondence between lane departures and global theta activity. However, at the local level an increased risk for lane departures was associated with increased theta content in brain regions related to motor function.
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| 7. |
- Ahlström, Christer, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring driver impairments : Sleepiness, distraction, and workload
- 2012
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Ingår i: IEEE Pulse. - 2154-2287. ; 3:2, s. 22-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Snow was falling heavily when Sarah was driving on a slippery road to her cousin’s country cottage. It was dark outside, and the visibility was poor. She had planned to arrive before sunset, but the rental service had made a mistake, and it took hours before she got her rental car at the airport. It was past midnight now, and after a long day of traveling, Sarah was starting to get sleepy.Fortunately, there were only 15 km to go, but her eyelids were starting to feel heavy. To stay awake, she put her favorite CD on, turned up the volume, and started to sing along. This seemed to help a little -good- only 10 km to go. This was when Sarah’s phone started ringing, and she awkwardly tried to find the mute button for the car stereo while answering the phone. As she looked up again, she barely caught a glimpse of the red brake lights of the car in front of her as she smashed into it.
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| 8. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Real-Time Adaptation of Driving Time and Rest Periods in Automated Long-Haul Trucking : Development of a System Based on Biomathematical Modelling, Fatigue and Relaxation Monitoring
- 2022
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Ingår i: IEEE transactions on intelligent transportation systems (Print). - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 1524-9050 .- 1558-0016. ; 23:5, s. 4758-4766
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hours of service regulations govern the working hours of commercial motor vehicle drivers, but these regulations may become more flexible as highly automated vehicles have the potential to afford periods of in-cab rest or even sleep while the vehicle is moving. A prerequisite is robust continuous monitoring of when the driver is resting (to account for reduced time on task) or sleeping (to account for the reduced physiological drive to sleep). The overall aims of this paper are to raise a discussion of whether it is possible to obtain successful rest during automated driving, and to present initial work on a hypothetical data driven algorithm aimed to estimate if it is possible to gain driving time after resting under fully automated driving. The presented algorithm consists of four central components, a heart rate-based relaxation detection algorithm, a camera-based sleep detection algorithm, a fatigue modelling component taking time awake, time of day and time on task into account, and a component that estimates gained driving time. Real-time assessment of driver fitness is complicated, especially when it comes to the recuperative value of in-cab sleep and rest, as it depends on sleep quality, time of day, homeostatic sleep pressure and on the activities that are carried out while resting. The monotony that characterizes for long-haul truck driving is clearly interrupted for a while, but the long-term consequences of extended driving times, including user acceptance of the key stakeholders, requires further research.
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| 9. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of an active steering system on city bus drivers’ muscle activity
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1080-3548 .- 2376-9130. ; 25:3, s. 377-385
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- City bus drivers spend hours driving under time pressure, in congested traffic and in a monotonous sitting position. This leads to unhealthy working conditions, especially in terms of physical and psychological stress. The aim of this study is to investigate whether an active steering system can alleviate the musculoskeletal stress involved in manoeuvring a bus. Twenty bus drivers drove a city bus equipped with the Volvo dynamic steering (VDS) support system in real traffic. Steering effort was evaluated with electromyography and with a questionnaire. Compared to baseline, VDS significantly reduced the required muscle activity by on average 15–25% while turning, and up to 68% in the part of the manoeuvre requiring maximum effort. The bus drivers believed that VDS will help reduce neck and shoulder problems, and they expressed a desire to have VDS installed in their own bus.
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| 10. |
- Ahlström, Christer, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of daylight versus darkness on driver sleepiness : A driving simulator study
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Sleep Research. - : Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc.. - 0962-1105 .- 1365-2869. ; 27:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Driver sleepiness studies are often carried out with alert drivers during daytime and sleep-deprived drivers during night-time. This design results in a mixture of different factors (e.g. circadian effects, homeostatic effects, light conditions) that may confound the results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of light conditions on driver sleepiness. Thirty young male drivers (23.6 ± 1.7 years old) participated in a driving simulator experiment where they drove on a rural road. A 2 × 2 design was used with the conditions daylight versus darkness, and daytime (full sleep) versus night-time (sleep deprived). The results show that light condition had an independent effect on the sleepiness variables. The subjective sleepiness measured by Karolinska Sleepiness Scale was higher, lateral position more left-oriented, speed lower, electroencephalogram alpha and theta higher, and blink durations were longer during darkness. The number of line crossings did not change significantly with light condition. The day/night condition had profound effects on most sleepiness indicators while controlling for light condition. The number of line crossings was higher during night driving, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale was higher, blink durations were longer and speed was lower. There were no significant interactions, indicating that light conditions have an additive effect on sleepiness. In conclusion, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and blink durations increase primarily with sleep deprivation, but also as an effect of darkness. Line crossings are mainly driven by the need for sleep and the reduced alertness at the circadian nadir. Lane position is, however, more determined by light conditions than by sleepiness.
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