Complexity in In-Vehicle Touchscreen Interaction: A Literature Review and Conceptual Framework

Overload of in-vehicle information and emergence of new interfaces such as touchscreens have increased the complexity of driver-vehicle interaction. Nevertheless, studies on the complexity of the vehicle environment remain at an early stage compared to other safety critical domains. Therefore, in this study, we propose a conceptual framework for applying the concept of complexity to the vehicle environment, especially for the touchscreen-based interaction. In this study, we investigated the concept of complexity in the HMI field and design variables of touch interfaces. Based on the previous works, the we defined four types of complexity: interface complexity, interaction complexity, perceived complexity and mediate complexity. The measures for evaluating each complexity type were also suggested. The results of this study can be helpful in designing in-vehicle touch interfaces in terms of complexity.