Abstract
The reliable evaluation of Driver, Road and Vehicle (DRV*) interaction becomes more and more important due to increasingly complex development processes and function configurations. For a long time, the objectification process has focused on vehicle characteristics only, but with respect to the current development trends in automotive engineering new methods are required which also focus on the driver. This paper presents the potentials resulting from the integration of driver models in this regard. The use of a control theoretical driver model in terms of different evaluation objectives will be illustrated by means of two ways of application. The first case aims at the evaluation of driving properties. How the driver adapts to altered vehicle dynamics and driving situations as well as the respective mechanisms and how it can be used to represent valid objective evaluation criteria for driving properties by using driver model parameters will be analysed in this context. The second case aims at objectifying the driver in the overall system. This is based on identifiable changes in driver behaviour in relation to driving time to e.g. quantify the decreasing quality of the driver controlling the vehicle. Finally, the field applications of objectifications based on the driver model will be presented, supported through a number of test results. The applications range from the evaluation of handling characteristics and simulation tasks – e.g. in terms of load spectra determination – to the identification of driver performance and alertness index through sensor information from track monitoring systems in connection with the development of adaptive ADAS functions.
KEYWORDS – Driver Model, Objectification, Modelling and Simulation, Driving Properties, Driver Performance