ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview is presented of the nature and development of GIDS, the Generic Intelligent Driver Support system. The overall objective of the GIDS project has been "to determine the requirements and design standards for a GIDS systems that are maximally consistent with the information requirements and performance capabilities of the human driver". The innovative feature of GIDS is that it is the first system ever to take into account, in an adaptive fashion, the intentions, capabilities, and limitations of the individual driver. Driver support systems should enable drivers to cope with the driving task more easily, safely and efficiently. The term generic refers to the fact that GIDS has been conceptualized in such a way that it may increase in scope and complexity with the development of new technological capabilities. In designing GIDS to support a variety of driving tasks, the physical, perceptual and cognitive characteristics of the driver needed consideration.
