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U.K. government funds elder-friendly navigation research

U.K. researchers are working on making motoring less stressful for older drivers with the aid of GPS navigation.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
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Antuan Goodwin

We're all aware of that corner of the market filled with products targeted at elderly users: mobile phones with limited functionality designed not to confuse, remote controls with huge buttons that are easy to read, and landline phones like the FotoDialer. Could the next product in this niche be a GPS navigation system for your grandma? A £12 million grant from the U.K. government is pushing in that direction.

Newcastle University Prof. Phil Blythe, who is heading up the team researching the project, cites waning eyesight, nervousness, and decreased confidence as issues for older drivers. The navigation technology currently being researched with the aid of driving simulators hopes to help with these problems by favoring multiple left-hand turns over a single right to reduce crossing oncoming traffic. (Remember, the Brits drive on the wrong side of the road, so their left-hand turn is the equivalent of our right-hander.) The system will also favor landmarks over street names for spoken directions (for example, "Turn left at the post office"), and avoid highways and high-traffic areas to reduce driving stress.

The interface will be tweaked to be easier to see and use by older drivers. I'm assuming that means big, bright buttons and fewer onscreen options at any giving time.

(Source: The Sun)