## BCIT Baseline Driving

### Introduction

**Overview:** The Baseline Driving study was designed to collect extended time-on-task measurements of
subjects performing a driving task in a simulated environment in order to assess fatigue-based performance
through novel biomarkers. The Baseline Driving study was intended to identify periods of driver fatigue
via predictive algorithms formulated from the analysis of driver EEG data, in comparison to the objective
performance measures, and in contrast with the (non-fatigued) Calibration driving session for the subject.

Baseline driving data sets were designed to be the second component of every recording session within the
BCIT program, which featured multiple studies investigating fatigue.

Collectively, the Baseline Driving recordings comprise a virtual study, in which long time-on-task
driving performance can be analyzed for fatigue-related EEG biomarkers based on measured driving
performance degradation. Further information is available on request from [cancta.net](https://cancta.net).

The task was performed using identical systems at three different sites:

- Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen MD (T1)  
- Teledyne Corporation, Durham, NC (T2)  
- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Louisville, CO (T3) 

All sites used identical driving simulator setups.
The data collected at site T1 used a 64-channel Biosemi EEG headset as did the data collected at site T2,
while site T3 used a 256-channel Biosemi EEG headset.

Data from site T1 has legacy subject IDs in the range 1000 to 1999.
Data from site T2 has legacy subject IDs in the range 2000 to 2999.
Data from site T3 has legacy subject IDs in the range 3000 to 3999.
Legacy subject IDs are unique across the entire BCIT program.

### Methods   

**Subjects:** Subjects at Aberdeen Proving Grounds were recruited, on a voluntary basis from among
the scientists and engineers working at APG.

Subjects recruited by Teledyne and SAIC were found via advertising and community outreach efforts,
and primarily consisted of local college students.
 
**Apparatus:**  Driving simulator with steering wheel and brake / foot pedals (Real Time Technologies; Dearborn, MI);
Video Refresh Rate (VRR) = 900 Hz; Vehicle data log file Sampling Rate (SR) = 100 Hz);
EEG (BioSemi 256 (+8) channel systems with 4 eye and 2 mastoid channels recorded; SR=1024 Hz);
Eye Tracking (Sensomotoric Instruments (SMI); REDEYE250). Eye tracking data is not included in this dataset.

**Initial setup:** Upon arrival to the lab, subjects were given an introduction to the primary
study for which they were recruited and provided informed consent and provided demographics information.
This was followed by a practice session, to acclimate the subject to the driving simulator.
The driving practice task lasted 10-15 min, until asymptotic performance in steering and speed
control was demonstrated and lack of motion sickness was reported. Subjects were then outfitted
and prepped for eye tracking and EEG acquisition.

**Task organization:** Subjects always began recording sessions by performing a Calibration Driving task,
which was a 15-minute drive where the subject controlled only the steering (and speed was controlled by the simulator).

Following this, subjects would perform the Baseline Driving task and the Guard Duty task,
with counter-balancing used across subjects as to which of them came first.

The Baseline Driving run was 60 minutes of driving, performed in 6 blocks of 10 minutes each,
with subjects responsible for speed and steering control.

The subject was instructed to stay within the boundaries of the right-most lane,
and to drive at the posted speed limits. The vehicle was periodically subject to lateral perturbing forces,
which could be applied to either side of the vehicle, pushing the vehicle out of the center of the lane;
and the subject was instructed to execute corrective steering actions to return the vehicle to the center of the lane.

**Independent variables:** For T1 (ARL) and T3 (SAIC) there were no independent variables.
For T2 data sets (Teledyne), independent variables were Visual Complexity (high vs. low),
Perturbation Frequency (high vs. low).

**Dependent variables:** Reaction times to perturbations, continuous performance based
on vehicle log (steering wheel angle, lane position, heading error, etc.),
Task-Induced Fatigue Scale (TIFS), Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), Visual Analog Scale of Fatigue (VAS-F).
Note: questionnaire data is available upon request from [cancta.net](https://cancta.net).

**Additional data acquired:** Participant Enrollment Questionnaire, Subject Questionnaire for Current Session,
Simulator Sickness Questionnaire.

**Experimental Locations:**  Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen MD (site T1);
Teledyne Corporation, Durham, NC (site T2);
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Louisville, CO (site T3).

**Note 1:** This dataset has a corresponding dataset in the BCIT Calibration Driving ds004118 which has the
15 minute driving task performed prior to this one.

**Note 2:** Some of the subjects in this dataset performed either the BCIT Basic Guard Duty Task (ds004118) or
the BCIT Advanced Guard Duty Task (ds004106) counterbalanced during the same session.