Evaluation and Control Model Design of Human Factors for Autonomous Driving Systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel path planning algorithm for autonomous driving that incorporates occupant psychological feelings, using machine learning classifiers and potential fields to enhance safety and comfort.

Contribution

It proposes a new obstacle avoidance and path planning method that considers occupant subjective feelings through machine learning and psychological safety boundaries.

Findings

Effective obstacle avoidance demonstrated in co-simulations.

Improved occupant psychological comfort confirmed.

Path planning algorithm outperforms traditional methods.

Abstract

With the fast development of driving automation technologies, user psychological acceptance of driving automation has become one of the major obstacles to the adoption of the driving automation technology. The most basic function of a passenger car is to transport passengers or drivers to their destinations safely and comfortably. Thus, the design of the driving automation should not just guarantee the safety of vehicle operation but also ensure occupant subjective level of comfort. Hence this paper proposes a local path planning algorithm for obstacle avoidance with occupant subjective feelings considered. Firstly, turning and obstacle avoidance conditions are designed, and four classifiers in machine learning are used to respectively establish subjective and objective evaluation models that link the objective vehicle dynamics parameters and occupant subjective confidence. Then, two potential fields are established based on the artificial potential field, reflecting the psychological feeling of drivers on obstacles and road boundaries. Accordingly, a path planning algorithm and a path tracking algorithm are designed respectively based on model predictive control, and the psychological safety boundary and the optimal classifier are used as part of cost functions. Finally, co-simulations of MATLAB/Simulink and CarSim are carried out. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm, which can avoid obstacles satisfactorily and improve the psychological feeling of occupants effectively.