AWAKENED-STATE MAINTAINING APPARATUS AND AWAKENED-STATE MAINTAINING METHOD

摘要

Provided are an awakened-state maintaining apparatus and an awakened-state maintaining method that maintain an awakened-state of a driver. In the awakened-state maintaining apparatus (100), a visual-stimulation control unit (107) calculates an initial displaying position that is in accordance with the product of initial setup time and detected vehicle speed. A displaying means displays on the initial displaying position a visual stimulation image pertaining to a visual-stimulation virtual object that will evoke an awakened-state, and also updates the visual stimulation image using a visual effect wherein the visual-stimulation virtual object is displayed so as to seemingly approach the vehicle at the detected speed, in accordance with the time elapsed since the visual stimulation image was first displayed. An audio signal control unit (105) outputs an audio signal and a vibration control unit (106) outputs a vibration, when the initial setup time has elapsed since the visual stimulation image was first displayed. Since, in such a way, a driver is able to sense that the vehicle that he/she is driving has run over the visual-stimulation virtual object, which was displayed so as to seemingly make a gradual approach to the vehicle, with his/her visual, hearing, and tactual senses, the awakened-state of the driver is able to be maintained.