Calling while driving: an initial experiment with hololens

We investigate the visual distraction of drivers when they use an augmented reality (AR) device (HoloLens) for video calling while driving. The work is motivated by the advent of novel AR technology and by research on context sharing between callers. Both suggest that AR might soon be appropriated for 2- way video calling in cars, yet little is known on how distracting this is to the driver. Our participants drove in a simulator while engaged in a Skype conversation. We compared a condition with a video presentation (through AR), and a speech-only condition. We found that participants hardly looked at the video, perhaps because it was not visible from peripheral vision without making a head movement. In this way, HoloLens was less distracting visually than a monitor display used in earlier work. Although less distraction is desirable, using HoloLens also has a drawback: when drivers did look at the video they had to turn their head away from the road to look to the right, and down. The work makes suggestions on how to further study safety and other issues of this new technology.