Faculty Profiles - AOKI Hirofumi

Digital clock drawing test reflects visuospatial ability of older drivers

Yamauchi, S; Kawano, N; Shimazaki, K; Shinkai, H; Kojima, M; Shinohara, K; Aoki, H

FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY Vol. 15 page： 1332118 2024.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Frontiers in Psychology

Objectives: To keep older drivers safe, it is necessary to assess their fitness to drive. We developed a touch screen-based digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) and examined the relationship between the dCDT scores and on-road driving performance of older drivers in a community-setting. Methods: One hundred and forty-one community-dwelling older drivers (range; 64–88 years old) who participated in this study were included in the analysis. Participants completed the dCDT, the Mini-Mental State Examination-Japanese (MMSE-J), and an on-road driving assessment. We examined the relationship between dCDT scores using the method by Rouleau et al. (maximum 10 points) and the on-road driving performance based on a driving assessment system originally developed by Nagoya University. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that errors in the driving test were associated with dCDT score for the items “confirmation,” “turning left” and “maintains driving lane position”. Discussion: This study confirmed the relationship between the dCDT score and driving errors, such as confirmation, turning left and maintaining driving lane position. The increase in these errors indicates a decline in visuospatial ability while driving. The dCDT score may reflect older drivers’ visuospatial abilities while driving.

DOI： 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1332118

A Framework for Combining Lateral and Longitudinal Acceleration to Assess Driving Styles Using Unsupervised Approach

Zhu, YF; Jiang, ML; Yamamoto, T; Ding, NK; Shinkai, H; Aoki, H; Shimazaki, K

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Vol. 25 ( 1 ) page： 638 - 656 2024.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems

Driving style assessment plays an important role in intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications, such as driving feedback provision and usage-based insurance. Many previous studies used supervised algorithms to profile drivers. However, this cannot be applied to large-scale unlabeled driving data, which are increasingly prevalent in the ITS context. This paper proposes a framework that combines lateral and longitudinal accelerations to assess a driver's driving style using an unsupervised approach. The framework first detects risky acceleration maneuvers using a statistical method based on the G-G diagram that shows combinations of lateral and longitudinal accelerations. Hierarchical clustering was used to classify the average driving behavior of drivers into high-, medium-, and low-risk groups. Further, a unique Gaussian mixture model is trained for each driver to score their driving style and decompose risky acceleration maneuvers into several risk components. Finally, the spatio-temporal characteristics are extracted to provide implicit factors on the risky behavior of drivers. The proposed method was applied to a large-scale dataset obtained by in-vehicle data recorders. The results demonstrate the necessity to combine the two axes of acceleration for driver behavior assessment. The proposed method can model individual driving styles effectively from the driver's G-G diagram, enabling applicability to large-scale unlabeled data for driving style assessment. The extraction of spatio-temporal characteristics can improve the interpretability of the results obtained using machine learning algorithms. All these results can be used to create a driver's risk profile and provide tailored feedback for improving driving safety.

DOI： 10.1109/TITS.2023.3310213

The new guideline for evaluating effects of psychotropic drugs on the performance to drive a motor vehicle in Japan: Comparison with US FDA guideline

Iwamoto, K; Nakabayashi, T; Yamaguchi, A; Konishi, Y; Saji, M; Yoshimura, R; Kanemoto, K; Aoki, H; Ando, M; Ozaki, N

NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY REPORTS Vol. 43 ( 2 ) page： 172 - 176 2023.6

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Neuropsychopharmacology Reports

In December 2022, the new guideline for evaluating the effect of psychotropic drugs on the performance to drive a motor vehicle was issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and implemented in Japan. Of the safety information, information on the influence of medications on driving performance is particularly important because it can be relevant to the social functioning of patients. In principle, the package inserts of medications are designed based on evidence and provide precautions regarding the operation of heavy machinery such as automobiles in Japan, the United States, and Europe. The effects of medications on driving performance are generally evaluated in a tiered approach involving nonclinical and clinical studies. Because of the wide variety of functional domains involved in automobile driving, the selection of evaluation methods for a given medication depends on their characteristics, which is a complicated method. Therefore, to evaluate the effects of psychotropic drugs on driving performance efficiently and appropriately, we developed the MHLW guideline that specifically defines the evaluation methods used in pharmacological studies, the neuropsychological tests used in pharmacodynamic studies, and the situations in which driving studies are necessary. Regarding the planning of appropriate drug development strategies, we review the background of the MHLW guideline and its differences from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guideline.

DOI： 10.1002/npr2.12339

Relationship Between Driving Risk Assessment Test Using Touch Panel Display and Compensation Intention and Driving Behavior

Shimazaki Kan, Kojima Masae, Shinkai Hiroko, Inagami Makoto, Aoki Hirofumi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 54 ( 1 ) page： 63 - 68 2023

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

In the previous study, we developed a risk assessment test using a touch panel display, and attempted to measure self-monitoring ability based on the relationship between actual performance and its self-estimation. In this paper, in addition to this, we examined the relationship between the intention to compensate by velocity selection and the actual driving behavior on the road. In this study we increased the number of participants. In addition to this, a certified driving instructor rode along with the participants to evaluate their driving. Actual performance on the risk assessment test was uncorrelated with self-estimation of the test result. The self-estimation of the test result and the velocity considered appropriate for driving the same road again on the test were also uncorrelated. On the other hand, there was a significant correlation between the appropriate velocity selected on the test and the number of times the instructor rated the velocity as inappropriate. An analysis of variance of the two factors, with the adequacy of the self-assessment and the duration of the TMT-B time required as factors, revealed a significant interaction, with the group whose TMT-B time required exceeded 33.4 seconds (Median) and whose self-estimation deviated from the actual performance by more than 10% having significantly lower instructor driving score than the other groups.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.54.63

Investigation of Cut-Off Points for the Operation of a Simplified Questionnaire Comprehensively Captures Driving Characteristics (SQ-CCDC) to Capture the Driving Characteristics of Older Drivers.

Kojima Masae, Shojima Kojiro, Aoki Hirofumi, Shimazaki Kan, Yamauchi Satsuki, Tanaka Takahiro, Yonekawa Takashi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 54 ( 3 ) page： 650 - 657 2023

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

The SQ-CCDC, a simplified questionnaire with a variety of driving-related variables, was developed using items that can represent differences among elderly drivers, and it is better to be able to provide feedback immediately after answering in order to operationalise it. It is not realistic to estimate the latent rank of respondents from their response patterns using LRT software. It is more practical to be able to estimate the latent rank from the sum score. In this report, we examined the cut-off points so that ranks can be analogously estimated from the sum scores of each subscale.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.54.650

Assessment of senior drivers' internal state in the event of simulated unexpected vehicle motion based on near-infrared spectroscopy

Le, AS; Xuan, NH; Aoki, H

TRAFFIC INJURY PREVENTION Vol. 23 ( 5 ) page： 221 - 225 2022.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Traffic Injury Prevention

Objective: A driver’s internal state is a critical factor influencing driving performance, especially in cases of surprise or shock in response to unexpected incidents while driving. This study was designed to investigate the brain activity of a senior driver in response to simulated unexpected vehicle motion, compared with a relaxed state and normal driving. Methods: To accomplish this, we created a driving simulator paradigm wherein participants were involved in one of the following three scenarios: sitting down and relaxing, normal driving around the city with traffic signals and other vehicles, and the exiting of a parking area. In the scenario where the driver was to exit the parking area, the gear was switched automatically by the CarMaker software without the driver being notified, leading to an unexpected condition. The driver’s internal states were classified by artificial intelligence, based on information obtained through four-channel near-infrared spectroscopy. Results: Significant differences were observed between the hemodynamic responses obtained in the three conditions. Ultimately, this method can be used to update advanced driver assistance systems, with a view to preventing future traffic accidents, by activating in-vehicle safety functions based on the driver’s condition. Conclusions: A driver’s internal states in a panic situation while driving can be detected using near-infrared spectroscopy and artificial intelligence.

DOI： 10.1080/15389588.2022.2051019

Understanding Situations that Make Senior People Feel Reluctant to Drive

Masae KOJIMA, Makoto INAGAMI, Hirofumi AOKI

MERA Journal Vol. 24 ( 2 ) page： 24 - 28 2022.3

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Man-Environment Research Association

Recently, traffic accidents caused by senior drivers have attracted public attention and have encouraged some senior drivers to voluntarily give up their driver licenses. On the other hand, problems have been pointed out, including a decreased motivation to live and an increased risk of needing long-term care due to giving up driving. In order to support the mobility of the senior, there is an urgent need to obtain knowledge on driving support such as effective driving aids and environmental improvements. Of the data accumulated by the Center of Innovation (COI) Program, which is a research result development project of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the current report focuses on the questionnaire items on driving environments that senior people find reluctant. The questionnaire items ask for an evaluation on “the frequency of encounters” and “the degree to which one does not want to drive” for 24 different driving environments. Using the responses of 216 senior people (55 to 87 years old), analysis by the latent rank theory was carried out. As a result, it was possible to classify the senior into five groups. Depending on the characteristics of the senior people, their evaluation of the driving environment was different. It was found that the perception of the driving environment differed among the subgroups of senior people.

DOI： 10.20786/mera.24.2_24

JointFlow: A Foot Motion Tracking Model Combining Pose Estimation Model with Optical Flow

Hayashi, H; Aoki, H; Kamezaki, M; Shimazaki, K; Aoki, K; Sugano, S

2022 IEEE 25TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITSC) Vol. 2022-October page： 2875 - 2881 2022

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (international conference proceedings) Publisher：IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Proceedings, ITSC

Understanding driver's foot behavior helps reduce pedal-related traffic accidents. Conventional systems introduced wearable devices to track drivers' foot motion and tracking drivers' feet using non-contact sensors is still challenging. Moreover, to better understand driver's foot behavior, it is required to stably track drivers' small foot motion and at the joint level. To cope with this problem, we develop a novel foot motion tracking system, referred to as 'JointFlow.' This system integrates a pose estimation model, i.e., OpenPose, with Optical Flow. At first, a keypoint region-based convolutional neural network (keypoint R-CNN) is trained to detect the joints of the foot. At the same time, the Lucas-Kanade algorithm of Optical Flow is used to calculate the motion of each foot joint between consecutive frames. We implemented and evaluated the system using a real-world driving dataset of 50 drivers. The evaluation result shows that JointFlow could track both small and large foot motion. By comparing with the conventional pose estimation model, we could confirm that JointFlow tracked small foot motion more stable.

DOI： 10.1109/ITSC55140.2022.9922332

A Study to Develop a Simple Questionnaire on Driving Characteristics of Elderly Drivers Reviewed

Kojima Masae, Shojima Kojiro, Aoki Hirofumi, Shimazaki Kan, Yamauchi Satsuki, Tanaka Takahiro, Yonekawa Takashi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 53 ( 6 ) page： 1114 - 1121 2022

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

Many studies on driving behaviour and human characteristics often use multiple questionnaires, that is burdensome for older drivers. It works efficiently if only valid items are used to adequately represent differences among older drivers. The aim of the present report is to develop an exhaustive questionnaire incorporating several driving-related scales. The analysis was conducted using the latent rank theory. As a result, the 121 items of the existing questionnaire could be reduced to 45 items without significant loss of information. With the new questionnaire, it is possible to measure 8 different subjective assessments, such as safe driving orientation and awareness of change.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.53.1114

Development of a Short Form of the Workload Sensitivity Questionnaire

Kojima Masae, Aoki Hirofumi, Yamauchi Satsuki, Shimazaki Kan, Yonekawa Takashi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 53 ( 3 ) page： 560 - 566 2022

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

The 38-item Workload Sensitivity Questionnaire (WSQ38) was originally designed for general drivers. In this study, we attempted to create a shortened version for senior drivers. As a result of analysis using latent rank theory, we were able to classify the items into three groups of ranks according to the degree of subjective workload. A shortened form was proposed and validated using the top items with the highest item discriminancy. It became clear that about 10 to 9 items were sufficient to measure the degree of driving workload (WSQ9 or WSQ10).

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.53.560

Development of a Test to Measure Risk Estimation Ability and Self-Monitoring Ability

Shimazaki Kan, Kojima Masae, Shinkai Hiroko, Inagami Makoto, Aoki Hirofumi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 53 ( 2 ) page： 397 - 403 2022

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

Sixty-five elderly drivers participated in an experiment to develop a risk estimation test that can measure self-monitoring ability. The test consisted to point hazards, blind spots, signals and road sign by touching display in a Three-Dimensional Computer Graphics (3DCG) image from the driver's viewpoint on a 21-inch touch panel display. After the test, participants were asked to self-evaluate the rate of the total objects they could touch for safety, and to select a velocity for their next driving. The results were compared with those of non-elderly drivers. And the relationship with cognitive function measured by the TMT-B was also examined. In addition, the variables affecting velocity selection were analyzed. The results revealed the following points. The hazard pointing rate of elderly drivers was significantly lower than that of non-elderly drivers. There were many elderly drivers whose self-estimation of the hazard pointing rate was high, even though the actual rate was low. There was a significant correlation between the decline in cognitive function and the decline in the potential hazard like blind spots at intersections pointing rate. There was no relationship between cognitive function or self-estimation of hazard pointing rate and selection velocity.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.53.397

An Analysis of Vulnerable Road Users Overtaking Maneuver along the Urban Road

Vu, MD; Aoki, H; Suzuki, T; Nagiri, S; Van, QHN; Itou, S; Hattori, A

APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL Vol. 11 ( 14 ) 2021.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Applied Sciences (Switzerland)

This paper discusses driving styles while overtaking a vulnerable road user who moves along the shoulder in urban roads. Based on the data obtained from an experiment in pre-defined conditions (combinations of four main effects: Vehicle’s initial speed, lane width of the road, vulnerable road users’ type, and location in the shoulder) with an immersive driving simulator, we analyzed four different driving styles of drivers while approaching and passing the objects. It is shown that drivers took avoidance maneuvers even if there was no clear risk of collision to vulnerable road users. The results showed that the drivers tended to have a unique perception about the lateral passing gap and overtaking strategy with two worth notice groups: Overcaution drivers and reckless drivers. The road characteristic has a statistically significant effect for all types of drivers. Moreover, the effect of the vehicle’s initial speed on overtaking strategy and the effect of vulnerable road user location on minimum lateral passing gap are statistically significant. The findings provide some implications for the development of automotive safety systems that can reduce the risk of overtaking maneuvers in urban areas.

DOI： 10.3390/app11146361

A New Mobility Society After COVID-19

AOKI Hirofumi

IATSS Review Vol. 46 ( 1 ) page： 57 - 63 2021.6

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences

Through the once-in-a-century mobility revolution, the concept of mobility has changed from just the physical displacement of people and things to a huge network system that also includes the invisible exchange of information and energy. As changes occur in the surrounding demographics and environment, the mobility revolution has accelerated due to COVID-19. In this paper, we outline the impact of COVID-19 on mobility and discuss the direction of the mobility revolution, taking into consideration the mobility revolution as a whole and the social situation surrounding Japan.

DOI： 10.24572/iatssreview.46.1_57

How will the COVID-19 pandemic change our current work/lifestyles, and how can Human factors and Ergonomics contribute to new work/lifestyles?

EBARA Takeshi, FUKASAWA Shinichi, MATSUZAKI Ippei, AOKI Hirofumi, SHIMOMURA Yoshihiro

The Japanese Journal of Ergonomics Vol. 57 ( 0 ) page： S03 - S03 2021

A Study on Pedal Operation in the Driving Behavior of Elderly Drivers

Aoki Kunitomo, Hirano Akio, Shinkai Hiroko, Yamauchi Satsuki, Takeda Natsuka, Inagami Makoto, Yonekawa Takashi, Shimazaki Kan, Aoki Hirofumi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 52 ( 2 ) page： 500 - 504 2021

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

The aim of this study is to collect basic data for the prevention of accidents caused by pedal misapplication among the elderly. We hypothesized that frequent pedal changes in parking lots would increase the variance of the foot position on the brake pedal. We install on-dash cams in cars owned by elderly drivers and asked them to drive freely. The results supported the hypothesis. It is possible that this large variance may be a cause of the pedal misapplication.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.52.500

Experimental Study on Driving Behavior of General Driver when Passing the Pedestrian's Side

Nagiri Sueharu, Aoki Hirofumi, Vu Manh Dung, Nguyen Van Quy Hung, Itou Shouji, Hattori Akira

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 52 ( 2 ) page： 480 - 485 2021

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

Pedestrians and cyclists account for a large proportion of traffic accidents in Japan. In this report, we investigate the driving behavior of general drivers when they pass by pedestrians using a driving simulator. Some factors influencing driving behavior included attributes such as road width and pedestrians, as well as the presence or absence of oncoming traffic and distance from one's vehicle. The results show that the two driver types can be categorized into drivers who perform safe driving behaviors when crossing pedestrians and drivers who are slightly less safe, and these two driver types have very different driving behaviors.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.52.480

Changes of Behavior and Mobility in Elderly during COVID-19 Epidemic

Yamauchi Satsuki, Shimazaki Kan, Kojima Masae, Yonekawa Takashi, Takeda Natsuka, Shinkai Hiroko, Aoki Hirofumi

Transactions of Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan Vol. 52 ( 5 ) page： 1143 - 1148 2021

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan

In the present study, we conducted a questionnaire survey to clarify the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on the physical and mental health of elderly people and the changes in the feelings of elderly drivers toward driving. The number of outings, which decreased during the period of emergency declaration, gradually recovered to the level before COVID-19 epidemic. However, the number of outings for leisure and social activities did not recover. The number of times they used public transportation decreased, and the number of times they used cars driven by others increased. In addition, the number of times they drove by themselves decreased slightly, and their anxiety about driving by themselves increased. Furthermore, communication with others was association with mental health in the elderly. There is concern that the COVID-19 epidemic may cause a decline in quality of life in the elderly.

DOI： 10.11351/jsaeronbun.52.1143

Evaluating driver cognitive distraction by eye tracking: From simulator to driving

Le A.S.

Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives Vol. 4 2020.3

Driving Characteristics Database for Driving Assessment of Older Drivers: Data Repository for Human Life Driving Anatomy (Dahlia)

YAMAGISHI Misako, INAGAMI Makoto, TANAKA Takahiro, YONEKAWA Takashi, KAWANO Naoko, SATO Toshihisa, AKAMATSU Motoyuki, AOKI Hirofumi

The Japanese Journal of Ergonomics Vol. 56 ( 1 ) page： 1 - 10 2020.2

Language：Japanese Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Japan Ergonomics Society

Various data related to driving of older drivers were collected in this research to construct database, called Data Repository for Human Life-Driving Anatomy (Dahlia). The database includes visual functions, cognitive performance, driving aptitude tests, and questionnaires about driving attitudes and belief obtained from approximate 300 drivers. Further, naturalistic driving study has been conducted to collect driving behavior from some drivers. This paper describes concept of the database, details of data collection, case of the present applications, and prospects.

DOI： 10.5100/jje.56.1