Steering Control Characteristics of Human Driver : Driver Control Limits and Benefits of Employing Additional Motion Feedback Cues

Road safety associated with vehicle operation is a complex function of dynamic interactions between the driver, vehicle, road and the environment. Using different motion perceptions, the driver performs as a controller to satisfy key guidance and control requirements of the vehicle system. In this dissertation research, a number of reported driver models employing widely different control strategies are reviewed and evaluated in terms of relative performance characteristics to identify the contributions of different control strategies. A series of experiments was performed on a driving simulator to measure the steering and braking reaction times, and steering and control actions of the drivers with varying driving experience at different forward speeds. A two-stage preview driver model incorporating curved path geometry in addition to essential human driver cognitive elements is then proposed. The significance of enhancing driver's perception of vehicle motion states on path tracking and control demands of the driver are then examined by involving different motion cues for the driver.