Role of steering wheel feedback on driver performance: driving simulator and modeling analysis

When driving in curves, how do drivers use the force appearing on the steering wheel? As it carries information related to lateral acceleration, this force could be necessary for drivers to tune their internal model of vehicle dynamics; alternatively, being opposed to the drivers' efforts, it could just help them stabilize the steering wheel position. To assess these two hypotheses, we designed an experiment on a motion-based driving simulator. The steering characteristics of the vehicle were modified in the course of driving, unknown to drivers. Results obtained with standard drivers showed a surprisingly wide range of adaptation, except for exaggerated modifications of the steering force feedback. A two-level driver model, combining a preview of vehicle dynamics and a neuromuscular steering control, reproduces these experimental results qualitatively and indicates that adaptation occurs at the haptic level rather than in the internal model of vehicle dynamics. This effect is related to other theories on the manual control of dynamics systems, wherein force feedback characteristics are abstracted at the position control level. This research also illustrates the use of driving simulation for the study of driver behavior and future intelligent steering assistance systems.     

Role of steering wheel feedback on driver performance: driving simulator and modeling analysis

When driving in curves, how do drivers use the force appearing on the steering wheel? As it carries information related to lateral acceleration, this force could be necessary for drivers to tune their internal model of vehicle dynamics; alternatively, being opposed to the drivers' efforts, it could just help them stabilize the steering wheel position. To assess these two hypotheses, we designed an experiment on a motion-based driving simulator. The steering characteristics of the vehicle were modified in the course of driving, unknown to drivers. Results obtained with standard drivers showed a surprisingly wide range of adaptation, except for exaggerated modifications of the steering force feedback. A two-level driver model, combining a preview of vehicle dynamics and a neuromuscular steering control, reproduces these experimental results qualitatively and indicates that adaptation occurs at the haptic level rather than in the internal model of vehicle dynamics. This effect is related to other theories on the manual control of dynamics systems, wherein force feedback characteristics are abstracted at the position control level. This research also illustrates the use of driving simulation for the study of driver behavior and future intelligent steering assistance systems.     

融合预瞄与势场栅格法的紧急避撞驾驶人模型

紧急避障工况下的驾驶人操作具有响应快且动作幅值较大的特点，传统预瞄驾驶人模型已不能适应紧急避障工况的需求，故考虑实际避撞场景开发相应的驾驶人模型就显得尤为必要。针对此种状况，基于驾驶模拟器，结合紧急避撞工况实际驾驶人操纵数据，提出了一种融合预瞄与势场栅格法的紧急避撞驾驶人模型。首先针对紧急避撞工况下车辆运动特点，建立车辆横、纵向耦合非线性动力学模型，并给出其状态空间方程描述；其次，离线仿真分析紧急避撞系统特征，并结合线性二次型最优控制，建立最优曲率预瞄+跟踪误差反馈驾驶人模型；再者，基于紧急避撞工况下真实驾驶人经验转向行为数据，开发基于势场栅格法的驾驶人模型，为进一步提高驾驶人模型对避障行驶工况的适应性，将基于势场栅格法的驾驶人模型与最优曲率预瞄+跟踪误差反馈驾驶人模型进行融合，并基于Sigmoid函数实现两者输出的权重分配；最后，针对所提出的融合预瞄与势场栅格法的驾驶人模型，开展基于避撞台架的驾驶人在环仿真试验以及实车试验。研究结果表明：在紧急避撞工况下，对比最优曲率预瞄+跟踪误差反馈驾驶人模型，融合预瞄与势场栅格法的驾驶人模型输出的转向动作与实际驾驶人行为较为接近，可在保证避障安全性的前提下，兼顾避障路径跟踪精度与车辆行驶的稳定性。     

A driver-adaptive stability control strategy for sport utility vehicles

Conventional vehicle stability control (VSC) systems are designed for average drivers. For a driver with a good driving skill, the VSC systems may be redundant; for a driver with a poor driving skill, the VSC intervention may be inadequate. To increase safety of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), this paper proposes a novel driver-adaptive VSC (DAVSC) strategy based on scaling the target yaw rate commanded by the driver. The DAVSC system is adaptive to drivers’ driving skills. More control effort would be exerted for drivers with poor driving skills, and vice versa. A sliding mode control (SMC)-based differential braking (DB) controller is designed using a three degrees of freedom (DOF) yaw-plane model. An eight DOF nonlinear yaw-roll model is used to simulate the SUV dynamics. Two driver models, namely longitudinal and lateral, are used to ‘drive’ the virtual SUV. By integrating the virtual SUV, the DB controller, and the driver models, the performance of the DAVSC system is investigated. The simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the DAVSC strategy.     

An investigation on motor-driven power steering-based crosswind disturbance compensation for the reduction of driver steering effort

This paper describes a lateral disturbance compensation algorithm for an application to a motor-driven power steering (MDPS)-based driver assistant system. The lateral disturbance including wind force and lateral load transfer by bank angle reduces the driver's steering refinement and at the same time increases the possibility of an accident. A lateral disturbance compensation algorithm is designed to determine the motor overlay torque of an MDPS system for reducing the manoeuvreing effort of a human driver under lateral disturbance. Motor overlay torque for the compensation of driver's steering torque induced by the lateral disturbance consists of human torque feedback and feedforward torque. Vehicle–driver system dynamics have been investigated using a combined dynamic model which consists of a vehicle dynamic model, driver steering dynamic model and lateral disturbance model. The human torque feedback input has been designed via the investigation of the vehicle–driver system dynamics. Feedforward input torque is calculated to compensate additional tyre self-aligning torque from an estimated lateral disturbance. The proposed compensation algorithm has been implemented on a developed driver model which represents the driver's manoeuvreing characteristics under the lateral disturbance. The developed driver model has been validated with test data via a driving simulator in a crosswind condition. Human-in-the-loop simulations with a full-scale driving simulator on a virtual test track have been conducted to investigate the real-time performance of the proposed lateral disturbance compensation algorithm. It has been shown from simulation studies and human-in-the-loop simulation results that the driver's manoeuvreing effort and a lateral deviation of the vehicle under the lateral disturbance can be significantly reduced via the lateral disturbance compensation algorithm.     

考虑驾驶人特性的一主多从混合博弈容错控制

为保证线控底盘电动汽车在遭遇执行器失效时的稳定性，并考虑人-车交互行为，提出了以驾驶人为领导者的一主多从（Single-leader-multiple-follower，SLMF）混合博弈容错控制框架。为实现驾驶人-车辆的交互控制，首先建立了两者的耦合模型。其次，将驾驶人及5个底盘子系统即主动前轮转向（Active Front Steering，AFS）系统和4个轮毂电机建模为博弈中的6个参与者，基于Stackelberg主从博弈与多人合作博弈设计了SLMF混合博弈控制框架。考虑驾驶人具有优先控制权限及执行器对驾驶人行为的补偿作用，基于Stackelberg博弈理论建立了驾驶人与底盘子系统的主从博弈模型，其中驾驶人作为领导者通过感知跟随者的行为做出转向决策，而5个底盘子系统被建模为跟随者。由于跟随者追求共同的横向稳定控制目标，因此基于合作博弈理论建立了合作模型，并对领导者的转向策略做出最优响应。最后，为研究跟随者之间追求不同目标导致不合作时的控制效果，设计了非合作Nash博弈与Stackelberg博弈相结合的混合博弈为对比方法，通过实时硬件在环测试验证并对比了2种方法。结果表明：针对不同风格的驾驶人，所设计的方法可以保证遭遇执行器卡死失效车辆的稳定性。与不合作的情况相比，2种不同风格的驾驶人驾驶的车辆在底盘子系统合作时，车辆稳定性分别提升了54.62%和53.78%，驾驶人工作负荷分别降低了31.79%和36.07%。     

An optimal model-based trajectory following architecture synthesising the lateral adaptive preview strategy and longitudinal velocity planning for highly automated vehicle

Automated driving has received a broad of attentions from the academia and industry, since it is effective to greatly reduce the severity of potential traffic accidents and achieve the ultimate automobile safety and comfort. This paper presents an optimal model-based trajectory following architecture for highly automated vehicle in its driving tasks such as automated guidance or lane keeping, which includes a velocity-planning module, a steering controller and a velocity-tracking controller. The velocity-planning module considering the optimal time-consuming and passenger comforts simultaneously could generate a smooth velocity profile. The robust sliding mode control (SMC) steering controller with adaptive preview time strategy could not only track the target path well, but also avoid a big lateral acceleration occurred in its path-tracking progress due to a fuzzy-adaptive preview time mechanism introduced. In addition, an SMC controller with input–output linearisation method for velocity tracking is built and validated. Simulation results show this trajectory following architecture are effective and feasible for high automated driving vehicle, comparing with the Driver-in-the-Loop simulations performed by an experienced driver and novice driver, respectively. The simulation results demonstrate that the present trajectory following architecture could plan a satisfying longitudinal speed profile, track the target path well and safely when dealing with different road geometry structure, it ensures a good time efficiency and driving comfort simultaneously.     

Haptic steering support for driving near the vehicle’s handling limits; skid-pad case

Current vehicle dynamic control systems from simple yaw control to high-end active steering support systems are designed to primarily actuate on the vehicle itself, rather than stimulate the driver to adapt his/her inputs for better vehicle control. The driver though dictates the vehicle’s motion, and centralizing him/her in the control loop is hypothesized to promote safety and driving pleasure. Exploring the above statement, the goal of this study is to develop and evaluate a haptic steering support when driving near the vehicle’s handling limits (Haptic Support Near the Limits; HSNL). The support aims to promote the driver’s perception of the vehicle’s behaviour and handling capacity (the vehicle’s internal model) by providing haptic (torque) cues on the steering wheel. The HSNL has been evaluated in (a) driving simulator tests and (b) tests with a vehicle (Opel Astra G/B) equipped with a variable steering feedback torque system. Drivers attempted to achieve maximum velocity while trying to retain control in a circular skid-pad. In the simulator (a) 25 subjects drove a vehicle model parameterised as the Astra on a dry skid-pad while in (b) 17 subjects drove the real Astra on a wet skid-pad. Both the driving simulator and the real vehicle tests led to the conclusion that the HSNL assisted subjects to drive closer to the designated path while achieving effectively the same speed. With the HSNL the drivers operated the tires in smaller slip angles and hence avoided saturation of the front wheels’ lateral forces and excessive understeer. Finally, the HSNL reduced their mental and physical demand.     

eTS fuzzy driver model for simultaneous longitudinal and lateral vehicle control

In this paper, evolving Takagi-Sugeno (eTS) fuzzy driver model is proposed for simultaneous lateral and longitudinal control of a vehicle in a test track closed to traffic. The developed eTS fuzzy driver model can capture human operator’s driving expertise for generating desired steering angle, throttle angle and brake pedal command values by processing only information which can be supplied by the vehicle’s on-board control systems in real time. Apart from other fuzzy rule based (FRB) models requiring human expert knowledge or off-line clustering, the developed eTS driver model can adapt itself automatically, even ‘from scratch’, by an on-line learning process using eTS algorithm while human driver is supervising the vehicle. Proposed eTS fuzzy driver model’s on-line human driver identification capability and autonomous vehicle driving performance were evaluated on real road profiles created by digitizing two different intercity express ways of Turkey in IPG© CarMaker® software. The training and validation simulation results demonstrated that eTS fuzzy driver model can be used in product development phase to speed up different tests via realistic simulations. Furthermore eTS fuzzy driver model has an application potential in the field of autonomous driving.     

Real-time characterisation of driver steering behaviour

In recent years the application of driver steering models has extended from the off-line simulation environment to autonomous vehicles research and the support of driver assistance systems. For these new environments there is a need for the model to be adaptive in real time, so the supporting vehicle systems can react to changes in the driver, their driving style, mood and skill. This paper provides a novel means to meet these needs by combining a simple driver model with a single-track vehicle handling model in a parameter estimating filter – in this case, an unscented Kalman filter. Although the steering model is simple, a motion simulator study shows it is capable of characterising a range of driving styles and may also indicate the level of skill of the driver. The resulting filter is also efficient – comfortably operating faster than real time – and it requires only steer and speed measurements from the vehicle in addition to the reference path. Adaptation of the steer model parameters is demonstrated along with robustness of the filter to errors in initial conditions, using data from five test drivers in vehicle tests carried out on the open road.

Abbreviations: ADAS: advanced driver assistance systems; CG: centre of gravity; CAN: controller area network; EKF: extended Kalman filter; GPS: global positioning system; UKF: unscented Kalman filter     

Lane-keeping benefits of practical rear axle steer

The classic two-degree-of-freedom yaw-plane or ‘bicycle’ vehicle model is augmented with two additional states to describe lane-keeping behaviour and further augmented with an additional control input to steer the rear axle. A simple driver model is hypothesised where the driver closes a loop on a projected lateral lane position. The driver can select the preview distance to compensate driver/vehicle dynamics, consistent with the ‘cross-over’ model found in the literature. A rear axle steer control law is found to be a function of the front axle steering input and vehicle speed that exhibits stability similar to a positive-real system, while at the same time improving the ability of the driver/vehicle system to track a complex curved lane and improving steady-state manoeuvrability. The theoretically derived control law bears similarity to practical embodiments allowing a deeper understanding of the functional value of steering a rear axle.     

基于变权重系数的分布式驱动无人车轨迹跟踪

为了提高分布式无人车轨迹跟踪的精度，提出了基于自主与差动协调转向控制的轨迹跟踪方法。首先，在车辆三自由度模型基础上，基于模型预测控制（MPC）实时计算前轮转角以控制车辆进行自主转向轨迹跟踪。在此过程中，为了提高自主转向下车辆的轨迹跟踪精度与行驶的稳定性，考虑多种因素，利用经验公式及神经网络控制对MPC的预瞄步数和预瞄步长进行多参数调整，实现预瞄时间的自适应控制。其次，在恒转矩需求的情况下，以轨迹偏差为PID控制器的输入及左右轮毂电机转矩为输出进行差动转向控制，实现了差动转向下的轨迹跟踪控制。然后，通过设置权重系数的方法将自主与差动转向相结合。考虑到车辆横纵向动力学因素，采用模糊控制及经验公式对权重系数进行了调整，从而在提高车辆转向灵活性与轨迹跟踪效果的同时保证车辆行驶的稳定性。CarSim与Simulink联合仿真以及实车试验结果表明：与自主转向轨迹跟踪相比，采用变权重系数的协调控制可以在不同的工况下提高车辆的转向灵活性与轨迹跟踪的精度，轨迹跟踪偏差的均方根值改善率达到了11%。所提出的协调转向控制方法可为分布式驱动车辆转向灵活性的提高及轨迹跟踪精度的改善提供一种新的思路。     

考虑驾驶人风格的换道轨迹规划与控制（双语出版）

基于自动换道控制技术中融合个性化驾驶人风格的研究，建立考虑驾驶人风格的车辆换道轨迹规划及控制模型以提高换道规划控制模型对不同风格驾驶人的适用性，在保证安全性的基础上进一步满足驾驶人的个性化需求。首先通过问卷调查的方式采集得到了212份驾驶人风格量表数据，采用主成分分析法和K均值（K-means）聚类分析法将驾驶人按驾驶风格分为激进型、普通型和谨慎型，并通过驾驶模拟器试验采集不同风格驾驶人分别在自车道前车、目标车道前车和目标车道后车影响下的换道行为数据。然后对椭圆车辆模型进行改进，以描述不同风格驾驶人的行车安全区域，并据此构建3种典型工况下不同风格驾驶人的换道最小安全距离模型，结合驾驶舒适性约束、车辆几何位置约束以及不同风格驾驶人的换道行为数据，以换道纵向位移最短为目标，实现适应驾驶人风格的换道轨迹规划。最后以基于预瞄的路径跟踪模型作为前馈量，设计基于动力学的线性二次型最优（LQR）反馈控制器，通过调节控制权重矩阵实现3种工况下不同驾驶人风格的换道轨迹跟踪。PreScan和MATLAB/Simulink联合仿真结果表明：所设计的考虑驾驶人风格的换道轨迹规划及跟踪控制模型能够实现不同驾驶风格的自动换道轨迹规划及跟踪控制，可满足驾驶人个性化换道需求。     

基于人机共驾的车道保持辅助控制系统研究（双语出版）

车道保持控制系统是汽车安全辅助驾驶的重要组成部分，可有效提高汽车主动安全性、避免车辆无意识地偏离本车道。目前，大部分车道保持控制系统在工作时将驾驶人的操作视为外界干扰，没有考虑人机共驾阶段下驾驶人与控制系统的控制权分配问题，易造成人机冲突、影响驾驶人的驾驶感受。论文兼顾驾驶人与辅助控制系统各自优势，基于人机共驾技术对车道保持控制系统进行研究。构建基于安全行驶区域与最晚预警边界相结合的车道偏离决策模型，在保证其预警精度的同时降低计算复杂性，根据车辆行驶状态和路面附着系数动态调整预警阈值；研究串级MPC-PID控制策略实现对车辆横向位置的控制，将最优问题转化为二次规划求得目标前轮转角，利用PID算法完成对目标前轮转角的跟踪；引入共驾系数对车辆的控制权进行分配，研究共驾系数分配模型，以车辆状态误差和驾驶人转向力矩作为模糊控制的输入变量、共驾系数作为输出变量，降低辅助控制系统与驾驶人之间的冲突；最后，利用CarSim与Simulink联合仿真对所研究的控制策略进行仿真验证，结果表明共驾系数能够根据驾驶人的操作和车辆运行状态的变化实现动态调整，辅助控制力矩与驾驶人输入力矩变化趋势相同，在保留驾驶人一定操作的基础下可避免车辆偏离车道、降低人机冲突。     

车辆转弯制动横向轨迹控制驾驶员模型研究

为了较为真实地反映车辆转弯制动工况,建立了含Pacejka"魔术公式"非线性联合工况轮胎模型的4轮8自由度车辆系统模型,并基于预瞄跟随理论、加速度反馈控制和模糊PID控制技术建立了车辆转弯制动横向轨迹控制驾驶员模型。针对不同初始速度和制动强度,利用MATLAB/Simulink进行了横向轨迹控制仿真分析。分析结果表明,驾驶员控制模型能很好地跟踪横向轨迹,模型的可行性和有效性得到验证,同时不同仿真条件下结果的一致性也说明该控制方法具有较强的自适应能力和鲁棒性,为进一步研究复杂工况下的驾驶员模型及横向轨迹控制提供了一条可行的途径。     

针对自适应巡航的驾驶人风格辨识

车辆进入自适应巡航工况下行驶时,不同风格的驾驶人会对自适应巡航控制系统(Adaptive Cruise Control,ACC)有不同的需求。文章首先通过对不同驾驶人在9种跟随试验下获取的实验数据分析,选取表征驾驶人风格的驾驶特征参数;其次对所有驾驶人驾驶特征参数利用K-mean算法聚类分析,将驾驶人三类,并利用BP神经网络建立辨识模型对驾驶人风格进行辨识。结果表明;文章提出的方法可以较高的准确率对驾驶人风格进行分类,提高自适应巡航系统适应驾驶人的能力。     

四轮转向汽车自适应模型跟踪控制研究

使用单点预瞄驾驶员模型，针对确定性汽车模型探讨了４ＷＳ汽车在单移线行驶过程中后轮的最优转向控制规律。通过引入状态反馈，改善了整车的转向特性，将实际汽车的前后轮胎侧刚度及外界干扰视为有界的不确定性参数，采用自适应模型跟踪变结构控制方法，使得不确定的实际汽车模型能够很好地跟踪确定的最优理论模型，仿真结果表明该方法的可行性，控制系统能够有效地克服参数摄动及外界干扰对系统稳定性的影响。     

驾驶风格对驾驶行为的影响

为了揭示驾驶风格对驾驶行为的影响规律,进而提取表征驾驶风格的特征参数,对不同风格驾驶人在感知层和操作层的驾驶行为数据进行了量化分析。首先,基于驾驶行为问卷对18名中国非职业驾驶人进行了驾驶风格问卷调查,并采用主成分分析、K-均值聚类等方法将被试驾驶人分为谨慎型、正常型和激进型3种类型。接着,被试驾驶人在搭载了SmartEye眼动仪的驾驶模拟器上开展了高速公路行车环境下的驾驶试验,同步采集了感知层的视觉特性参数和操作层的驾驶绩效参数,并采用判断抽样的方式将驾驶样本按照驾驶风格和驾驶模式（换道意图和车道保持）进行了划分,共选取了810组有效样本。最后,采用方差分析法分析了不同风格驾驶人在不同驾驶模式下的注视行为、扫视行为、横向控制特性、纵向控制特性方面相关参数的差异显著性,并提取了不同风格间存在显著差异的参数作为表征驾驶风格的特征参数。研究结果表明：驾驶风格越激进,驾驶人对周围环境关注越少,对车辆的横向控制稳定性越差,急加速和急减速行为发生的频次越高;不同风格驾驶人在意图时窗内对后视镜的注视次数（p=0.002）、方向盘转角熵值（p=0.04）、加速踏板开度（p=0.01）、制动踏板开度（p=0.02）这4个参数的差异均较为显著,因此可作为表征驾驶风格的特征参数。     

驾驶员最优预瞄纵向加速度模型

利用预瞄跟踪理论、模糊决策理论和非线性系统描述函数法建立了一个驾驶员速度控制模型，即加强员最优预瞄纵向加速度模型，仿真结果表明，该模型通过对驾驶安全性、合法性、轻便性、驾驶员自身滞后特性及汽车动力学系统强非线性特性的考虑，可以有效地模拟驾驶员控制汽车速度的行为特性，为人-车-路闭环系统中速度控制研究提供了一条可行途径。     

Steering disturbance rejection using a physics-based neuromusculoskeletal driver model

The aim of this work is to develop a comprehensive yet practical driver model to be used in studying driver–vehicle interactions. Drivers interact with their vehicle and the road through the steering wheel. This interaction forms a closed-loop coupled human–machine system, which influences the driver's steering feel and control performance. A hierarchical approach is proposed here to capture the complexity of the driver's neuromuscular dynamics and the central nervous system in the coordination of the driver's upper extremity activities, especially in the presence of external disturbance. The proposed motor control framework has three layers: the first (or the path planning) plans a desired vehicle trajectory and the required steering angles to perform the desired trajectory; the second (or the musculoskeletal controller) actuates the musculoskeletal arm to rotate the steering wheel accordingly; and the final layer ensures the precision control and disturbance rejection of the motor control units. The physics-based driver model presented here can also provide insights into vehicle control in relaxed and tensed driving conditions, which are simulated by adjusting the driver model parameters such as cognition delay and muscle co-contraction dynamics.