Title: Design and evaluation of a driver intent based mobile control interface for ground vehicles

Authors: Chengshi Wang; Kim Alexander; Philip Pidgeon; John Wagner

Addresses: The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA ' Institute for Global Road Safety and Security, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA ' Institute for Global Road Safety and Security, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

Abstract: Drive-by-wire technologies have greatly expanded mobility options for diverse drivers. This study presents a cellphone-inspired portable human-machine-interface (HMI) that integrates directional control, brake, and throttle functionality into a single holistic device. A nonlinear adaptive control technique and an optimal control approach based on driver intent are proposed for combined longitudinal and lateral vehicle guidance. Designed to assist disabled drivers by minimising arm and leg movements, the device was tested in a driving simulator platform. Human subjects evaluated the mechatronic system through obstacle avoidance and city road driving tests, with a conventional steering wheel and pedals used for comparison. Results show that the mobile driving interface with the proposed control scheme improved driver performance by up to 55.8% compared to traditional driving systems during aggressive manoeuvres. The system's superior performance during certain vehicle manoeuvres and participants approval implies its potential as an alternative driving adaptation for disabled drivers.

Keywords: longitudinal and lateral dynamics; vehicle dynamics; nonlinear control; adaptive control; optimal control; state flow control; mobile control interface; portable HMI; emulated cellphone driving device; driver intent; human subject testing; ground vehicles; driver-by-wire.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2023.133260

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2023 Vol.92 No.1, pp.42 - 70

Accepted: 17 Sep 2021
Published online: 04 Sep 2023 *