With the growing complexity of vehicle control systems it is becoming increasingly important to understand the interaction between drivers and vehicles. Existing driver models do not adequately characterise limitations resulting from drivers’ physical systems. In particular, sensory dynamics limit the ability of drivers to perceive the states of real or simulated vehicles. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to understand the impact of sensory dynamics on the control performance of a human driver in real and virtual environments. A new model of driver steering control is developed based on optimal control and state estimation theory, incorporating models of sensory dynamics, delays and noise. Some results are taken from published literature, however recent studies have shown that sensory delays and noise amplitudes may increase during an active control task such as driving. Therefore, a parameter identification procedure is used to fit the model predictions to measured steering responses of real drivers in a simulator. The model is found to fit measured results well under a variety of conditions. An initial experiment is designed with the physical motion of the simulator matching the motion of the virtual vehicle at full scale. However, during more realistic manoeuvres the physical motion must be scaled or filtered, introducing conflicts between measurements from different sensory systems. Drivers are found to adapt to simple conflicts such as scaled motion, but they have difficulty adapting to more complicated motion filters. The driver model is initially derived for linear vehicles with stochastic target and disturbance signals. In later chapters it is extended to account for transient targets and disturbances and vehicles with nonlinear tyres, and validated once again with experimental results. A series of simulations is used to demonstrate novel insights into how drivers use sensory information, and the resulting impact on control performance. The new model is also shown to predict difficulties real drivers have controlling unstable vehicles more reliably than existing driver models.

The aim of electrification of chassis and driveline systems in road vehicles is to reduce the global emissions and their impact on the environment. The electrification of such systems in vehicles is enabling a whole new set of functionalities improving safety, handling and comfort for the user. This trend is leading to an increased number of elements in road vehicles such as additional sensors, actuators and software codes. As a result, the complexity of vehicle components and subsystems is rising and has to be handled during operation. Hence, the probability of potential faults that can lead to component or subsystem failures deteriorating the dynamic behaviour of road vehicles is becoming higher. Mechanical, electric, electronic or software faults can cause these failures independently or by mutually influencing each other, thereby leading to potentially critical traffic situations or even accidents. There is a need to analyse faults regarding their influence on the dynamic behaviour of road vehicles and to investigate their effect on the driver-vehicle interaction and to find new control strategies for fault handling. A structured method for the classification of faults regarding their influence on the longitudinal, lateral and yaw motion of a road vehicle is proposed. To evaluate this method, a broad failure mode and effect analysis was performed to identify and model relevant faults that have an effect on the vehicle dynamic behaviour. This fault classification method identifies the level of controllability, i.e. how easy or difficult it is for the driver and the vehicle control system to correct the disturbance on the vehicle behaviour caused by the fault. Fault-tolerant control strategies are suggested which can handle faults with a critical controllability level in order to maintain the directional stability of the vehicle. Based on the principle of control allocation, three fault-tolerant control strategies are proposed and have been evaluated in an electric vehicle with typical faults. It is shown that the control allocation strategies give a less critical trajectory deviation compared to an uncontrolled vehicle and a regular electronic stability control algorithm. An experimental validation confirmed the potential of this type of fault handling using one of the proposed control allocation strategies. Driver-vehicle interaction has been experimentally analysed during various failure conditions with typical faults of an electric driveline both at urban and motorway speeds. The driver reactions to the failure conditions were analysed and the extent to which the drivers could handle a fault were investigated. The drivers as such proved to be capable controllers by compensating for the occurring failures in time when they were prepared for the eventuality of a failure. Based on the experimental data, a failure-sensitive driver model has been developed and evaluated for different failure conditions. The suggested fault classification method was further verified with the conducted experimental studies. The interaction between drivers and a fault-tolerant control system with the occurrence of a fault that affects the vehicle dynamic stability was investigated further. The control allocation strategy has a positive influence on maintaining the intended path and the vehicle stability, and supports the driver by reducing the necessary corrective steering effort. This fault-tolerant control strategy has shown promising results and its potential for improving traffic safety. / <p>QC 20150520</p>

Neste trabalho, é desenvolvido um estudo sobre o uso de alertas auditivos e hápticos dentro do ambiente veicular. É proposto um sistema de assistência ao motorista para alertá-lo de que uma colisão lateral com outros veículos pode ser iminente, quando a observação do espelho retrovisor é insuficiente ou o motorista está desatento. O sistema é composto por um módulo de ativação e um módulo de alerta. O módulo de ativação detecta a condição de perigo por sensores posicionados ao redor do veículo e na tendência de abandono de faixa. Esse trabalho enfoca o módulo de alerta, para o qual se propõe o uso de som tridimensional juntamente com estímulo de vibração. Um ambiente de simulação é proposto para se reproduzir em laboratório o ambiente em que o motorista atua. Nesse ambiente, o sujeito deve utilizar um jogo de corrida projetado na parede à sua frente usando um volante e pedais para acelerar e frear. O motorista se mantém ocupado na tarefa de conduzir o veículo pela trajetória do jogo enquanto é submetido a situações em que um outro veículo se aproxima pela região lateral-traseira velozmente. O assento utilizado é equipado com os elementos geradores dos estímulos vibratórios e auditivos. No primeiro experimento, estuda-se o comportamento de 12 participantes na situação crítica sem o uso do sistema de alerta e conclui-se que a reação preferencial em tal situação é o esterçamento do volante. No segundo experimento, 23 participantes são submetidos ao mesmo cenário adicionando-se o sistema de alertas auditivo e háptico. São coletados os dados de tempo de reação, esterçamento do volante, pressionamento dos pedais e distância entre os carros. Também são registradas as percepções dos participantes sobre o sistema de alerta utilizado. A análise dos dados indica que o sistema de alerta é elegível para uso e pode auxiliar em termos de tempo de reação, devendo-se, entretanto, revisar as características dos alertas utilizados, especialmente o auditivo, para se reduzir o desconforto e evitar prejuízo significativo no controle do veículo. / In this work, we develop a study about the usage of auditive and haptic alerts in the vehicular environment. It is proposed a driver assistance system to warn the driver that a lateral collision with other vehicle may be imminent, when the rear mirror observation is insufficient or the driver is distracted. The system is composed by an activation module and a warning module. The activation module detects the dangerous condition using sensors placed around the vehicle and on the identification of a lane departure tendency. This work focuses on the warning module, which proposes the usage of three-dimensional sound together with vibration stimulus. A simulation environment is proposed to reproduce in laboratory the environment where the driver actuates. In this environment, the subject is requested to play a driving game projected in the frontal wall using a steering wheel and pedals to accelerate and brake. While the driver conducts the vehicle over the game route, he is submitted to the situation where another vehicle approaches very fastly from behind. The seat is equipped with the vibration and auditory stimuli generator elements. In the first experiment, it is assessed the behavior of 12 subjects in the critical situation without the usage of the warning system and it is concluded that the major reaction in such situation is the steering of the wheel. In the second experiment, 23 subjects are submitted to the same scenario adding the auditory and haptic warning system. The following data are collected: reaction time, wheel steering, pedal pressing and distance between the vehicles. The perception of the participants about the used warning system is registered. The analysis of all data indicates that the system is eligible to be used and is able to help regarding reaction times. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to review the characteristics of the used warnings, specially the auditory, to reduce discomfort and avoid loss of control during driving.

Neste trabalho, é desenvolvido um estudo sobre o uso de alertas auditivos e hápticos dentro do ambiente veicular. É proposto um sistema de assistência ao motorista para alertá-lo de que uma colisão lateral com outros veículos pode ser iminente, quando a observação do espelho retrovisor é insuficiente ou o motorista está desatento. O sistema é composto por um módulo de ativação e um módulo de alerta. O módulo de ativação detecta a condição de perigo por sensores posicionados ao redor do veículo e na tendência de abandono de faixa. Esse trabalho enfoca o módulo de alerta, para o qual se propõe o uso de som tridimensional juntamente com estímulo de vibração. Um ambiente de simulação é proposto para se reproduzir em laboratório o ambiente em que o motorista atua. Nesse ambiente, o sujeito deve utilizar um jogo de corrida projetado na parede à sua frente usando um volante e pedais para acelerar e frear. O motorista se mantém ocupado na tarefa de conduzir o veículo pela trajetória do jogo enquanto é submetido a situações em que um outro veículo se aproxima pela região lateral-traseira velozmente. O assento utilizado é equipado com os elementos geradores dos estímulos vibratórios e auditivos. No primeiro experimento, estuda-se o comportamento de 12 participantes na situação crítica sem o uso do sistema de alerta e conclui-se que a reação preferencial em tal situação é o esterçamento do volante. No segundo experimento, 23 participantes são submetidos ao mesmo cenário adicionando-se o sistema de alertas auditivo e háptico. São coletados os dados de tempo de reação, esterçamento do volante, pressionamento dos pedais e distância entre os carros. Também são registradas as percepções dos participantes sobre o sistema de alerta utilizado. A análise dos dados indica que o sistema de alerta é elegível para uso e pode auxiliar em termos de tempo de reação, devendo-se, entretanto, revisar as características dos alertas utilizados, especialmente o auditivo, para se reduzir o desconforto e evitar prejuízo significativo no controle do veículo. / In this work, we develop a study about the usage of auditive and haptic alerts in the vehicular environment. It is proposed a driver assistance system to warn the driver that a lateral collision with other vehicle may be imminent, when the rear mirror observation is insufficient or the driver is distracted. The system is composed by an activation module and a warning module. The activation module detects the dangerous condition using sensors placed around the vehicle and on the identification of a lane departure tendency. This work focuses on the warning module, which proposes the usage of three-dimensional sound together with vibration stimulus. A simulation environment is proposed to reproduce in laboratory the environment where the driver actuates. In this environment, the subject is requested to play a driving game projected in the frontal wall using a steering wheel and pedals to accelerate and brake. While the driver conducts the vehicle over the game route, he is submitted to the situation where another vehicle approaches very fastly from behind. The seat is equipped with the vibration and auditory stimuli generator elements. In the first experiment, it is assessed the behavior of 12 subjects in the critical situation without the usage of the warning system and it is concluded that the major reaction in such situation is the steering of the wheel. In the second experiment, 23 subjects are submitted to the same scenario adding the auditory and haptic warning system. The following data are collected: reaction time, wheel steering, pedal pressing and distance between the vehicles. The perception of the participants about the used warning system is registered. The analysis of all data indicates that the system is eligible to be used and is able to help regarding reaction times. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to review the characteristics of the used warnings, specially the auditory, to reduce discomfort and avoid loss of control during driving.

Fahrerassistenzsysteme (FAS), wie zum Beispiel die „Aktive Gefahrenbremsung“, sollen dazu beitragen, das Fahren sicherer zu machen und die Anzahl an Unfällen und Verunglückten im Straßenverkehr weiter zu senken. Bei der Entwicklung von FAS muss neben der funktionalen Zuverlässigkeit des FAS sichergestellt werden, dass der Fahrer die Assistenzfunktion versteht und fehlerfrei benutzen kann. Zur Bestimmung geeigneter Systemauslegungen kommen in der Entwicklung Probandenversuche zum Einsatz, bei denen die zukünftigen Nutzer das FAS erleben und anschließend beurteilen. In dieser Arbeit wird die Eignung eines statischen Fahrsimulators für die Durchführung von Probandenversuchen zur Bewertung aktiv eingreifender FAS untersucht. Hierzu wurde ein Fahrversuch auf der Teststrecke und im statischen Fahrsimulator konzipiert, mit jeweils ca. 80 Probanden durchgeführt und die Ergebnisse bezüglich der Auswirkung des FAS „Aktive Gefahrenbremsung“ auf ausgewählte objektive und subjektive Kennwerte in der jeweiligen Versuchsumgebung vergleichend gegenübergestellt. Es zeigt sich, dass der statische Fahrsimulator prinzipiell für die Durchführung von Studien zur Bewertung aktiv eingreifender FAS geeignet ist. Als Ergebnis der Arbeit werden Erkenntnisse zur Aussagekraft der betrachteten Kennwerte sowie Empfehlungen zur Versuchsdurchführung im statischen Fahrsimulator gegeben.

Fahrerassistenzsysteme (FAS), wie zum Beispiel die „Aktive Gefahrenbremsung“, sollen dazu beitragen, das Fahren sicherer zu machen und die Anzahl an Unfällen und Verunglückten im Straßenverkehr weiter zu senken. Bei der Entwicklung von FAS muss neben der funktionalen Zuverlässigkeit des FAS sichergestellt werden, dass der Fahrer die Assistenzfunktion versteht und fehlerfrei benutzen kann. Zur Bestimmung geeigneter Systemauslegungen kommen in der Entwicklung Probandenversuche zum Einsatz, bei denen die zukünftigen Nutzer das FAS erleben und anschließend beurteilen. In dieser Arbeit wird die Eignung eines statischen Fahrsimulators für die Durchführung von Probandenversuchen zur Bewertung aktiv eingreifender FAS untersucht. Hierzu wurde ein Fahrversuch auf der Teststrecke und im statischen Fahrsimulator konzipiert, mit jeweils ca. 80 Probanden durchgeführt und die Ergebnisse bezüglich der Auswirkung des FAS „Aktive Gefahrenbremsung“ auf ausgewählte objektive und subjektive Kennwerte in der jeweiligen Versuchsumgebung vergleichend gegenübergestellt. Es zeigt sich, dass der statische Fahrsimulator prinzipiell für die Durchführung von Studien zur Bewertung aktiv eingreifender FAS geeignet ist. Als Ergebnis der Arbeit werden Erkenntnisse zur Aussagekraft der betrachteten Kennwerte sowie Empfehlungen zur Versuchsdurchführung im statischen Fahrsimulator gegeben.