gradPSYCH - September 2011 - (Page 32)

No need for speed SLIC was born when Nelson and his cohorts — Jane Barrow, Daniel Roberts, David Cades, PhD (now a scientist at Exponent), and David Kidd, PhD (now a research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) — started digging into U.S. automobile crash data. They found that one-quarter of U.S. traffic crashes happen during bad weather and approximately 7,400 people are killed each year in weather-related traffic crashes, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Those sobering statistics gave the students an idea: What if they could reduce that number? Drawing on their human factors training, the team produced several variations of a design for a weather-sensitive speedometer that they tested with 30 participants, each using a video-gamelike device with a steering wheel that simulated a drive along a country road with occasional stretches of inclement weather. In their study, the speedometer came onscreen whenever the driver encountered bad weather or other poor driving conditions, such as a gravel road. The team also used colors to alert drivers. The SLIC’s speed ranges glow red and yellow, indicating a suggested speed based on the current road and weather conditions. In addition, an icon with the word “speed” and two down arrows appears in the speedometer’s upper right corner until road conditions improve. Their research showed that this icon was easier for people to follow than a message saying “Slow down” or showing pictures of snow or rain next to the speedometer, says Nelson. Without training, drivers quickly picked up how the tool worked and slowed down when the speedometer activated onscreen. “When you’re driving, you can’t afford to look at some complex display to understand that you should be driving 37 mph,” says Nelson. “You need to be able to glance at something and have it be intuitive.” Smart speeds Much of the technology that could support SLIC in vehicles is already available, says Barrow. “There are now temperature sensors that can tell what kind of moisture is in the air, like fog, and there are optical sensors that can tell if there’s standing water in the road,” she says. Other features that could inform SLIC include sensors that measure the amount of water on the windshield and navigation software that tracks speed limits on various roads, Barrow says. Ideally, SLIC would integrate that information to help a driver pick an appropriate speed and avoid an accident, she says. The team is also counting on the fact that many auto manufacturers are moving toward liquid crystal display (LCD) dashboards, which could make overlaying SLIC on the car’s existing speedometer as simple as a software tweak. “The automobile manufacturing industry is always looking for ways they can improve their product, and SLIC would be fairly low-cost to implement,” adds Monk. Their patent will take at least an additional two years to process, but the students have already collaborated with graduate students from the George Mason business school to devise the best marketing plan. Automobile manufacturers have traditionally outsourced the engineering of their speedometers, but automakers may start producing their own as LCD dashboards become standard, says David Grossman, JD, assistant director of George Mason’s Office of Technology Transfer, who filed ? the team’s patent application. Grossman, an electrical engineer turned patent lawyer, has confidence in SLIC’s potential. “Getting a patent is expensive. We A brain teaser? Or a psychological test don’t follow through unless we think there about behavioural change? is a good chance something will actually Learn how understanding behaviour in psychological testing can be one way happen,” says Grossman, adding that “most to drive effective change in your organisation, with the University of Liverpool of our technology disclosures come from online MSc in Applied Psychology. hard engineering departments or biological Visit our website to discover the solution to the brain teaser, and learn research, and it’s great to see one coming about the online MSc in Applied Psychology. from psychology.” n www.ohecampus.com Click here to see SLIC in action. 4.5"x4.5"_11-05_appliespsych_gp.indd 1 32 • gradPSYCH • September 2011 5/17/11 10:50 AM http://www.ohecampus.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thYP40QFBVM&feature=player_embedded http://www.ohecampus.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of gradPSYCH - September 2011

GradPSYCH - September 2011
Contents
Interns: Be sure to track your hours
Students often notice but only sometimes blow the whistle on peers’ ethical violations
Psychology student spearheads coming-out project
Internship application costs rise
Odd Jobs
Media Picks
Chair’s Corner
Research Roundup
Matters to a Degree
The new academic job market
Applier beware
Does TV accurately portray psychology?
Safer travels
How to handle a tough audience
Free Money for Education
Meet your new advocates
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page

gradPSYCH - September 2011

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