Abstract
While full automation of road vehicles remains a future goal, shared-control and semiautonomous driving-involving transitions of control between the human and the machine-are more feasible objectives in the near term. These alternative driving modes will benefit from new research toward novel steering control devices, more suitably where machine intelligence only partially controls the vehicle. In this article, it is proposed that when the human shares the control of a vehicle with an autonomous or semiautonomous system, a force control, or nondisplacement steering wheel (i.e., a steering wheel which does not rotate but detects the applied torque by the human driver) can be advantageous under certain schemes: tight rein or loose rein modes according to the H -metaphor. We support this proposition with the first experiments to the best of our knowledge, in which human participants drove in a simulated road scene with a force control steering wheel (FCSW). The experiments exhibited that humans can adapt promptly to force control steering and are able to control the vehicle smoothly. Different transfer functions are tested, which translate the applied torque at the FCSW to the steering angle at the wheels of the vehicle; it is shown that fractional order transfer functions increment steering stability and control accuracy when using a force control device. The transition of control experiments is also performed with both: a conventional and an FCSW. This prototypical steering system can be realized via steer-by-wire controls, which are already incorporated in commercially available vehicles.
Highlights
IntroductionIn spite of the eager news coverage, fully autonomous vehicles may not materialize in the short term – or not materialize at all [1]
Once they improved their hand positioning strategy, they became adapted to the Force Control Steering Wheel (FCSW)
Because the participants used both hands to control the FCSW, hand tremors were filtered out by both hands acting in anti-phase and muscle co-contraction
Summary
In spite of the eager news coverage, fully autonomous vehicles may not materialize in the short term – or not materialize at all [1]. An obvious one is the occurrence of autonomous transportation systems within restricted environments. Driverless cars in simplified environments may be implemented. This can be accomplished by adapting the infrastructure. ELanes could be established in which only vehicles in autonomous control mode are allowed to circulate [4]. Entering or departing eLanes will entail transitions of control between the human and the machine. Another interesting prospect is that of shared-control systems, where the control of the machine is shared between the human and the intelligent system simultaneously [1]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
