Abstract-Advanced driver assistance systems are designed to make driving easier that is, to alleviate the driver's workload, and to increase traffic safety. However, traffic safety is affected by negative behavioral adaptation, meaning that drivers tend to increase speed and pay less attention to driving when supported by an advanced assistance system. We relate behavioral adaptation to reinforcement learning at a subconscious level, and propose that driver assistance is dynamically varied within predetermined safety limits. The aim of employing a dynamic assistance policy is to prevent the driver from noticing a constant improvement in vehicle handling. We conclude by describing ongoing work for empirically evaluating an improved lane departure warning system that uses a dynamic assistance policy.Index Terms-advanced driver assistance systems, lane departure warning systems, lane keeping assistance systems, negative behavioral adaptation, reinforcement learning, dynamic assistance policy I. INTRODUCTION he evolution of a new generation of advanced driver assistance systems is to a large extent propelled by advances in sensor technology, steadily increasing computing power and fast algorithms for analyzing in real-time multiple sources of sensor data [1]- [3]. Whereas much emphasis is put on the safety and reliability of the technical system, there is little concern of the human driver. However, the driver is of central importance for traffic safety. Empirical studies indicate that drivers have a tendency to adapt their driving style and misuse the increased safety margins created by advanced driver assistance systems, a phenomenon called negative behavioral adaptation [4]-[7]. Drivers may, for example, increase the driving speed and pay less attention to the driving task, to such an extent that the safety margins created by the driver assistance system are cancelled out [8], [9]. While this problem is widely acknowledged, to date no technically- based, engineering solutions have been proposed that could mitigate the adverse safety effects of negative behavioral adaptation.
It is always uncertain if a new assistance system will enhance traffic safety or not: empirical studies indicate that driving style may deteriorate when the driver experiences the increased safety margin created by an advanced driver assistance system. To minimize this negative effect on driving style, we redesigned a night vision system so that it appeared differently to the driver: we let the system's head-up display be turned off during operation, to be lit up only when the system detected an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian or animal) on the road ahead. This presentation style was compared in a simulator study to the traditional solution of constantly lit-up display. The results indicate that drivers reacted more reliably (showed less variance in reaction times) using the new system, which implies that the lighting up of the IR-display constituted an effective warning. Also, drivers to a greater extent drove at normal (slower) speeds when using the re-designed system. More generally, systems offering discontinuous support (i.e. only in critical situations) may have less of a negative effect on driving style, as their presence is not felt as vividly by the driver.Index Terms night vision systems, advanced driver assistance systems, driving style, negative behavioral adaptation, re-design, discontinuous support
The automotive industry is facing economic and technical challenges. The economic situation calls for more efficient processes, not only production processes but also renewals in the development process. Accelerating design work and simultaneously securing safe process outcome leads to products in good correspondence with market demands and institutional goals on safe traffic environments. The technique challenge is going from almost pure mechanical constructions to mechatronic systems, where computer-based solutions may affect core vehicle functionality. Since subcontractors often develop this new technology, system integration is increasingly important for the car manufacturers. To meet these challenges we suggest the simulator-based design approach. This chapter focuses on human-in-the- loop simulation, which ought to be used for design and integration of all car functionality affecting the driver. This approach has been proved successful by the aerospace industry, which in the late 1960s recognized a corresponding technology shift.
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