Optimizing Non-Glare Zone Width of Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) Using Fuzzy Logic Control

Adaptive driving beam (ADB) is an advanced vehicle forward-lighting system that automatically adapts its beam patterns to create a non-glare zone around vehicles, providing good long-range visibility for the driver without causing an uncomfortable glare for other road users. The performance of the ADB system is affected by the non-glare zone width. A narrow non-glare zone could create indirect glare in the side rearview mirrors of preceding vehicles during sharp turns while widening it results in poor road illumination. This research studies the trade-off relationship between glare and road illumination when altering the width of the non-glare zone in different driving scenarios. The study is conducted by using virtual driving simulation tools to simulate an ADB vehicle on four S-curve roads with minimum curvatures varying from 25 m to 100 m. Lux data are collected and processed using a fuzzy logic controller to mimic a human test driver to find the best non-glare zone width for balancing the trade-off. The research developed a design methodology allowing for a better understanding of the effect adjusting the width of the ADB non-glare zone has on ADB performance and improved ADB non-glare zone width optimum control system design.

AN INTELLIGENT FRAMEWORK FOR DYNAMIC TEST PLAN OF CLIENT/SERVER APPLICATIONS

To assist a solution to the problem of the test environment spanning multiple platforms, this paper proposes a decision support framework with the blackboard model to integrate all complementary features into a single automated test environment for multi-platform client/server applications. Before testing client/server applications, the input into this framework are testing tools with different approaches and client sites which are going to run the test. The planning agent will make a decision dynamically and produce a testing plan to allocate testing tasks to these testing tools to client sites. Two complementary features for testing client/server applications are illustrated in this paper to demonstrate how the framework works. The concept of mobile agents is applied to launch the test driver to different client sites, execute the tests and bring back the test results from client sites as well as the trace file from the server site for inspecting the interaction behavior among clients. Based on the multicast framework, the same test data can be broadcasted to multiple clients sites to run the tests simultaneously and the test results can be returned from client sites for examining the problem of repeated executions.

Plausibility of Human Remote Driving: Human-Centered Experiments from the Point of View of Teledrivers and Telepassengers

Remote driving operations represents an area of growing promise to exercise human driving capability rather than replace it. Autonomous driving technology is often motivated towards removing humans from the control loop of driving but up to now, has not been able to fully realize such aims. This paper summarizes two experiments that were conducted to investigate viability aspects of emulated teledriving from the point of view of a teledriver and of telepassengers. In the first experiment, a test driver improved lateral lane conformance across a closed-course track after only a few laps while experiencing novel arrangements of live-filmed driving camera and display views. In the second experiment, acceptance ratings from online survey respondents showed prominent negative scores only after viewing simulated driving videos with up to 20x to 50x the steering angle error of a modeled tele-steering device. Together, these studies suggest plausibility for teledriving and promise for future human factors research in this area.

Co-simulation of the virtual vehicle in virtual traffic considering tactical driver decisions

Recent developments such as increasing automation and connectivity of vehicles as well as new regulations for real driving emissions lead to a stronger consideration of traffic and traffic control in automotive development. The increasing complexity of vehicular systems requires a highly virtualized development process. Therefore, a co- simulation solution of DYNA4’s virtual vehicle with SUMO’s microscopic traffic is presented here. Despite increasing automation, virtual test drives often still require a virtual test driver. Thus, the co-simulation solution is extended by combining the driver models of both tools. The operational decision making level of DYNA4 is extended by SUMO’s tactical driver decisions, aiming at virtual test drives in complex surrounding traffic with realistic reaction on traffic and traffic control and reduced parametrization effort. By comparing two variants it is shown that a higher reference speed and more aggressive lane change parameters lead to an increase of usage of the left lane and an increase in achieved speeds.

A New Objective Evaluation Method for Vehicle Steering Comfort

Vehicle steering comfort is an important issue for steering control of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), especially the shared steering control systems. However, it is difficult to be evaluated objectively, that is, usually evaluated subjectively by the driver. This paper aims to develop an objective evaluation method of vehicle steering comfort, which is mainly based on the steering efficiency of the driver estimated by electromyography (EMG). First, the driver steering efficiency, as a key factor reflecting driver's maneuver energetics and some neurological control behaviors, is calculated in two steering conditions based on the EMG. In this process, the subjective evaluation of the vehicle steering comfort is obtained simultaneously else by a test driver. Unlike the traditional steering efficiency calculated from steering gear, the driver steering efficiency does not only partly present the energy consumption of driver itself but also the driver–vehicle interaction. And then, the relation between the steering efficiency and subjective evaluation is analyzed based on both linear regression and spearman correlation analyses. This challenging work investigates the interaction between the quantitative energy consumption and driver's subjective feeling and builds bridge between them. At last, an objective evaluation method of vehicle steering comfort using the steering efficiency is proposed, which provides a selection with quantitative evaluation. The proposed method is helpful to improve the steering control by giving a quantitative index.

Recorded Responses of a Light Truck With Rapid Left Front Air-Out of Super Oversized Mud Tires

A closed-loop test of a 1974 Ford F-150 4WD truck equipped with super oversized off-road mud tires was conducted to demonstrate that steering was possible after a left front rapid air-out event. A rim was built with six remotely deployable orifices that activated simultaneously and caused the air pressure to decrease below 2.5 psi in less than one second. The truck was configured in OEM condition except for the tires and rims. The tires were 42–14X16 mounted to 8X16 rims with zero offset. The tires that were originally sold with the vehicle were probably 8.75–16.5. Three tests at increasing speed of 35 mph, 45 mph, and 55 mph were conducted on a large, remote, and closed parking lot in a two-lane travel way marked with surface paint. The truck, while monitored with a standard suite of instruments and video, was brought to speed in a straight-line. At a predetermined point, and while maintaining a straight path, the throttle was dropped and the left front tire air-out was remotely triggered. The driver, aware of the test conditions and with the benefit of experience, was instructed to steer the truck to maintain its position within the simulated traffic lanes. The truck was equipped with a four-speed manual transmission which remained in fourth gear throughout the response phase of the test. The clutch was depressed and brakes applied only after steering control had corrected the vehicle’s leftward motion. The post air-out path of the truck evidenced by printing from the left front tire in each test was measured, photographed and plotted. The truck never left the simulated roadway travel lanes, which represented one direction of a typical four-lane California state highway. The test data was recorded at 200 samples per second and was post-processed with a 6 HZ, 12-pole, phaseless digital filter. Test results were plotted and presented. The test results are of interest because they are a demonstration of the concept that even under extreme conditions, if a test driver knows what is going to happen and knows what to do, a controlled vehicle motion is the likely outcome. In the tests, as the driver gained experience and the speed increased, lateral motion decreased. These findings are consistent with conclusions in a NHTSA tread separation study including, “when drivers had prior knowledge of the imminent tread separation, they were significantly less likely to sustain loss of vehicle control following the tread separation.” And, “findings from test track studies in which test drivers were aware of an imminent tread separation may underestimate the extent to which tread separation occurring in the real world leads to instability and loss of vehicle control.”