Assessing Cognitive Demand Testing Methods for Voice-Based Infotainment Systems

Advancements in the automotive and creative industries have led to the continual evolution of the driving activity "from [a] physical to cognitive effort" [1]. Consequently, this shift has allowed drivers to pick up additional distractions such as cell phones and other handheld devices that regulatory bodies deem a major source of driver distraction [2]. As governments internationally have increased regulations, companies have answered the mandate for hands-free infotainment solutions with systems such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, there are still concerns amongst the research community that these voice-based technologies create driver distraction through increased cognitive demand. Therefore, the research outlined in this abstract builds on related work and suggests that a simulator-based method for testing primary task performance is a viable research strategy. Further, this strategy measures cognitive demand when evaluating systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.