ST Labs: Explore Labs at toXcel

 

 Explore Labs — Human Factors & Driver Behavior Research


Lab director: John Shutko

Contact: john.shutko@toxcel.com

Our lab enables rigorous human factors research on how drivers interact with vehicles, systems, and infrastructure, optimizing them for safety, usability, and performance. We operate static and immersive VR labs, a mobile driving simulator that can be deployed to different locations (including hard-to-reach populations), a fully operational drive-on simulator for quick-turn benchmarking, and a dedicated instrumented test vehicle for on-road evaluations. This flexible toolkit lets us match the fidelity and speed of each study to your development stage, from early concept checks to comparative product benchmarks and real-world validation. 
 
Core Capabilities:
  • In-vehicle HMI and technology evaluations
  • Driver-distraction assessments (visual, manual, and cognitive load) with eye-tracking analytics (fixations, dwell time, scan patterns)
  • ADAS evaluations (engagement, comprehension, takeover performance)
  • Usability testing of vehicle interfaces and novel traffic-control devices Advanced & Custom Studies
  • Comparative benchmarking on our drive-on simulator
  • Field deployments with our mobile simulator and instrumented test vehicle, enabling access to diverse populations (older/younger cohorts, rural communities, underserved groups)
  • Multi-platform configurations (lab, VR, drive-on, mobile, on-road) tailored to your specific research questions and constraints
  • Evaluations of driver understanding and response to alternative traffic-control devices 
What Clients Gain:
Actionable, evidence-based insights grounded in controlled, repeatable studies and realistic operational behavior. OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, agencies, and infrastructure owners gain the insights needed to make confident design, safety, and policy decisions.