Abstract
Purpose :
To determine if necessary indicators for use of autonomous driving technology can be visualized by drivers with mild to moderate vision impairment in currently available vehicles.
Methods :
A near card was placed on the dashboard surface of a Tesla Model X and images of the dashboard were acquired at 14 inches with a 12MP digital camera. Images were uploaded into GIMP 2.0 software. Three graders measured the number of pixels for height of letters on both the near card and the dashboard, and results were averaged across graders. The minimum level of visual acuity required to visualize height of letters was calculated based on the near card at 14 inches and converted to 42 inches distance.
Results :
At 42 inches, the current speed could be visualized with best corrected visual acuity of 20/150. However, important indicators of range, street names, and maximum speed could not be visualized with visual acuity of 20/70.
Conclusions :
In a common commercially available vehicle with autonomous functions, some but not all indicators are visible for drivers with 20/70 best corrected visual acuity. We propose the development of an “enhanced accessibility mode” to optimize use for drivers with mild to moderate visual impairment, who may benefit most from availability of such technology.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.