summary

Focusing on the "Social Issues of Mobility" Needed Now and Resolving them with High Expertise

Auto Technic Japan Co., Ltd., an engineering solution company that creates people and opens up the future, will establish Mobility Engineering Division 0 in 2022 to undertake new initiatives.
Our mission is to take on new challenges centered on mobility, and to use our high technological capabilities to solve mobility-related issues and issues that society seems to be left behind.

A recent problem is the quietness of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. As a result of conducting a questionnaire about electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, about 80% of visually impaired people answered that they felt fear.
In response to this problem, the company has announced that the vehicle approach alarm system (hereinafter referred to as AVAS) will become mandatory.

Reference: Japan Association of Visually Impaired Organizations (Challenges when riding bicycles and quiet people (hybrid and electric vehicles)) http://nichimou.org/impaired-vision/barrier-free/car-when-driving/
Reference: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Regarding partial revision of safety standards for road vehicles) https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/jidosha07_hh_000220.html

Mr. Saito: From the social issues mentioned above, we decided to focus on "visually impaired people" and conduct research and development on AVAS this time. At Auto Technic Japan, we carry out planning and technological development that focuses on such points of contact between people and mobility.

Shimoyama (M): This is a field where the experience and achievements in mobility development that Auto Technic Japan has cultivated over many years can be put to good use.

*What is AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System)? Vehicle proximity notification device. An acoustic device that notifies pedestrians of approaching vehicles when driving at low speeds in electric or hybrid vehicles. In Japan and Europe, the expression "AVAS" is used.

Necessity of objective data in the development of "sound of mobility" where "pleasant sound" is emphasized

Mr. Yamazaki: In recent years, it has been said that mobility is in a period of revolution, and although Auto Technic Japan has a history of more than 40 years, we are realizing that the form required of mobility has changed.

Focusing on the theme of this year's AVAS sound evaluation, it was a major premise that conventional cars should be quieter, and the most important point was "quiet interior". However, with the advent of electric vehicles in recent years, quiet cars have become a matter of course.

Up until now, the evaluation of "pleasant sound" has been based on a physical evaluation that satisfies the prescribed values and a subjective evaluation by skilled technicians, but we feel the need to evaluate not only subjectively but also from the general user's point of view. Then came the question, “How do we incorporate it?”

In particular, we believe that there is a discrepancy in perception between skilled technicians and the general public. "It was the content.
I think it's difficult to express "sound" in words, but I thought that by using "brain waves", I could express intuitive reactions. In addition, there is a possibility that positive emotions such as "Do you like this sound?" I've been paying attention to "brain waves" for a long time.

Aiming to create mobility that is safe, kind, and enjoyable for society

Mr. Saito said that he felt the need to evaluate from a "third-party perspective" and "general user's perspective" when he had the opportunity to talk with a "visually impaired person."

Mr. Saito: When I talked to a visually impaired person about various things, I heard a shocking story that the AVAS sound was actually difficult to hear at a noisy intersection, and that he had an accident.
As a manufacturer, we were supposed to set the sound to meet the regulations, but we saw the "gap between reality" and the fact that we weren't actually hearing it. I strongly felt that this was an issue that Auto Technic Japan, which is involved in mobility development, had to solve.

As a result, we decided to measure electroencephalograms as a measure of biological reactions from the perspective of general users who need that sound.

Visualization of audibility of “sound”

This time, as an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems, we asked "5 car models", "skilled technicians" and "general people" to evaluate the ease of listening (ease of recognition) of AVAS sounds of hybrid vehicles. Conduct an experiment to get

●Experiment contents and results
We recorded the noise at the intersection in Shinjuku, and measured the behavioral data and EEG data when listening to the noise + AVAS. After the measurement was completed, we conducted a questionnaire regarding the ease of hearing. As a result, we found that it was possible to visualize the audibility of AVAS sounds with EEG.

Mr. Yamazaki: As a result of using various logics, it was found that there was a correlation between the subject's "subjective evaluation" and the results of the "sensitivity test" using electroencephalogram data, which is quite valuable data. I feel that

impression

Mr. Saito: Currently, it is only static verification, but in the future it will be possible to measure while riding in a car, and if it is possible to measure while walking, it will be possible to measure in fluid situations such as verification of pedestrians. , we can expect to contribute to a more comfortable "sound creation" and a safer mobility society.

Mr. Yamazaki: In addition to the results of physical evaluation and subjective evaluation, various research will be possible by obtaining methods and grounds that can be objectively judged based on human biological information, such as the "electroencephalogram data" used in this experiment. We are considering applying it as a development and evaluation index, and based on the results, we would like to use it to realize a better mobility society.

lastly

Shimoyama (M): Through this experiment, we were able to show the potential of brain waves as a biological reaction.
We would like to continue supporting Auto Technic Japan in utilizing not only our EEG solutions but also Macnica 's various expertise to achieve their goal of "realizing a better mobility society."