Ford Motor Co. is looking into how in-vehicle devices distract drivers, especially those that require the driver’s concentration.

Its initial focus is to get a baseline in order to create standards for the multitude of telematics systems (which combine telecommunications and information) making their way into automobiles and trucks. These studies, aimed at getting repeatable, objective and scientific data, will involve the more common tasks performed while driving, such as adjusting the radio.
Following this will come studies using a driver simulator called the Virtual Test Track Experiment (VIRTTEX), in which Ford is investing some $10 million.
One of the first investigations using the VIRTTEX will be a comparison of a driver’s driving performance while operating on-board electronic devices using display screens versus using voice commands.
The overall goal of Ford’s efforts is to better understand what – and how much – drivers can handle at the wheel.
The driver simulator sits on a base attached to six articulated, hydraulic legs. The arrangement, according to Ford officials, can simulate the motion of a car on more than 90% of the typical miles driven in the U.S.
A car is bolted to the base and surrounded by a dome that projects computer simulations of a variety of traffic situations and road conditions. The driver in the VIRTTEX wears a headset with an eye-tracking camera that measures and records every eye movement. This information is processed by computers to compare how long and how often the driver takes his or her eyes off the road.
At the same time, five cameras monitor the driver's hand and foot movement as well as eye movement. The driver's steering, braking and accelerating are recorded by computers, as is the driver’s ability to maintain steady or appropriate speeds.