Can Shared Control Improve Overtaking Performance? Combining Human and Automation Strengths for a Safer Maneuver

Abstract

The Shared Control (SC) cooperation scheme, where the driver and automated driving system control the vehicle together, has been gaining attention through the years as a promising option to improve road safety. As a result, advanced interaction methods can be investigated to enhance user experience, acceptance, and trust. Under this perspective, not only the development of algorithms and system applications are needed, but it is also essential to evaluate the system with real drivers, assess its impact on road safety, and understand how drivers accept and are willing to use this technology. In this sense, the contribution of this work is to conduct an experimental study to evaluate if a previously developed shared control system can improve overtaking performance on roads with oncoming traffic. The evaluation is performed in a Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulator with 13 real drivers. The system based on SC is compared against a vehicle with conventional SAE-L2 functionalities. The evaluation includes both objective and subjective assessments. Results show that SC proved to be the best solution for assisting the driver during overtaking in terms of safety and acceptance. The SC’s longer and smoother control transitions provide benefits to cooperative driving. The System Usability Scale (SUS) and the System Acceptance Scale (SAS) questionnaire show that the SC system was perceived as better in terms of usability, usefulness, and satisfaction.

Lateral Evasive Maneuver with Shared Control Algorithm: A Simulator Study

“…Note that as increases, so does the stiffness of the controller, which may cause oscillations. Hence, as detailed in [ 19 , 23 ], a scaled damping variable is introduced in the steering actuator motor controller to improve stability, where N·m/s is the damping related to the steering system dynamics.…”

“…Common critical scenarios often involve unsafe lane changes, often due to factors such as vehicles appearing in blind spots or unintended road departures. Steering assistance in these scenarios has been explored at varying torque levels, such as 5 Nm [ 21 , 22 ], 8 Nm [ 23 ], and even close to 10 Nm [ 24 , 25 ]. These later studies have shown promising results in mitigating most unsafe incidents.…”