Division of Neuroergonomics
University of Iowa, Department of Neurology
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Nissan-Iowa Instrumented Vehicle for Advanced Research for Neuroergonomic Assessment (NIRVANA)
IVs permit quantitative assessments of driver performance in the field, in a real car, under actual road conditions. These natural or naturalistic measurements are not subject to the same type of human bias that affects inter-rater reliability on a standard road test. For these reasons, we developed the multipurpose field research vehicles known as ARGOS (the Automobile for Research in Ergonomics and Safety) and NIRVANA (Nissan-Iowa Instrumented Research Vehicle of Advanced Neuroergonomic Assessment;). These vehicles are designed to examine objective indices of driving performance in normal and potentially unfit drivers and to assess the safety and usability of prototype automotive technologies. Each consists of a mid-sized vehicle with extensive instrumentation and sensors hidden within its infrastructure.