Validating Consumer-Grade Wearables for Divided Attention Detection in SAE Level 4 Vehicles
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Poster presented at the UbiComp & Health Symposium 2026. This study examines whether a consumer-grade chest-strap wearable (Garmin HRM-Dual, ~$80) can detect divided attention in SAE Level 4 vehicle passengers using heart rate and HRV (RMSSD). Preliminary results (N = 19) show medium effect sizes consistent with real but underpowered effects; target N = 50. Findings suggest low-cost cardiac sensing could enable adaptive in-vehicle displays that respond to passenger cognitive state without requiring active input.