Delft Haptics Lab

Human-like steering model based on sensorimotor control theories

Abstract

Sarvesh Kolekar worked on this MSc thesis project, and defended it in january 2016, with a 9.5. He was supervised by Winfred Mugge and David Abbink.

Abstract Current driver models have two main drawbacks. Firstly, different frameworks are used to model steering behaviour in routine and emergency scenarios. Secondly, there is within subject variability in human steering behaviour due to noise in sensorimotor system, which is not captured by current steering models. Understanding the above mentioned problems is necessary to get insight into human steering behaviour and design safer vehicles. In this study a novel Human-like steering model, based on neurophysiological parameters and sensorimotor control theories is proposed. Preliminary validation studies show promising results indicating that it can capture human steering behaviour and create understanding of the above mentioned problems. But this model is based on linear single track vehicle model and does not incorporate the co-contracting behaviour of human driver which will be incorporated in the next nonlinear version of this model.