The paper describes the implementation of a prototype reference interface, intended for use in assessments of in-vehicle information systems. Specifications of the key components are given, together with a brief description of their installation in a vehicle. The system demonstrated presents only visual and auditory information. Details are given of a high quality system that could be degradable to cover those of a lower quality. The equipments used in the visual and audio systems are described and details given of their performance. An example is given of a typical installation in a car. A series of sample messages were generated to demonstrate the capabilities of the system and to provide a basis for the development of a set of reference tasks. Each message is in the form of a graphics file and its associated speech synthesis text file which are displayed at the appropriate moment by the use of an allocated key. A dynamic route guidance system with defined characteristics is demonstrated.
Abstract