Driver observation and shared vehicle control: supporting the driver on the way back into the control loop
Abstract In the near future, drivers of automated cars will still have to take over from time to time at short notice. Current control systems implement a hard switch, disabling the automation all at once. However, studies show that the driver’s ability to take over depends on his last activity. We therefore propose a system that uses camera based observation of the driver to assess the situation and to predict transition times. We combine this with a control system that uses a cooperative shared control method to support the driver in takeover situations and allows him to adjust safely to the current situation. We present our first steps towards this goal and show both how the behavior of the driver in the interior can be assessed and how a cooperative control transfer can be implemented. We further point out the necessary steps to implement the proposed system and give a first impression of the performance via simulation.