The technological properties of a system delivering simulation experience are a crucial dimension of immersion. To create a sense of presence and reproduce drivers behaviour as realistically as possible, we need reliable driving simulators that allow drivers to become highly immersed. This study investigates the impact of a system immersion of a driving simulator on the drivers' brain activity while operating a conditionally automated vehicle. Nineteen participants drove approximately 40 minutes while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). We found a significant effect of the system immersion in the occipital and parietal areas, primarily in the high-Beta bandwidth. No effect was found in the Theta, Alpha, and low-Beta bandwidths. These findings suggest that the system immersion might influence the drivers' physiological arousal, consequently influencing their cognitive and emotional processes.
@article{arxiv.2406.13570,
title = {System Immersion of a Driving Simulator Affects the Oscillatory Brain Activity},
author = {Nikol Figalová and Jürgen Pichen and Lewis L. Chuang and Martin Baumann and Olga Pollatos},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2406.13570},
year = {2024}
}