Pierre Mayenobe

Cognitive Modelling and Computational Simulation of Drivers Mental Activities

Several car driver models are available in the literature. From an historical point of view, it is possible to identify three main phases, for the last 40 years, in this research area. The works of (1970), centred on task analysis, are typically representative of the studies carried out during the 1970s. The authors proposed a taxonomy of the main driving tasks (e.g. accelerating, steering, overtaking, lane changing) organised in nine categories (e.g. basic control tasks, tasks related to traffic condition). This work closely parallels the research of Allen et al. (1970), who divided the driving task in three levels: the microperformance, the situational performance and the macroperformance. These levels differ both according to their time scale and with regard to the kind of cognitive activity required. At the microperformance level, most of the actions are automated skills. Steering and speed control are the main subtasks. Feedback loops, concerning driving action implemented at this level, are very short (on the order of seconds). The macroperformance concerns the trip planning and the route finding during the trip. It corresponds to slow conscious processes requiring cognitive resources. The time scale can be hours at this level. Between these two levels, situational performance corresponds to the analysis of the road environment and to the selection of relevant behaviour in the current situation and traffic conditions. Performance at this level is determined by the driver’s perception and understanding of the driving context.

JDVE: A Joint Driver-Vehicle-Environment Simulation Platform for the Development and Accelerated Testing of Automotive Assistance and Automation Systems

As virtualization of design methods in general becomes more and more relevant, one of the main goals of the EU FP7 Project ISi-PADAS is the development of a Joint Driver-Vehicle-Environment Simulation Platform (JDVE) which enables the designers of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to validate their design with driver models as well as with “real” drivers. In order to cover both test cases, it is necessary to have a highly modular software platform able to be connected to various driving simulators, or even real test vehicles, but also capable of running with a virtual driver model on a single desktop PC. As virtual driver models do not need to act in real time it is beneficial to accelerate their timing in order to cover more test cases, e.g. as application of the Response 3 Code of Practice. This paper explains the modular approach of the JDVE and describes the accelerated time feature. Furthermore it briefly sketches some possible use cases for the JDVE.

COSMO-SIVIC: a first step towards a virtual platform for Human Centred Design of driving assistances

Abstract This paper presents the first step of research work implemented by INRETS in the frame of the ISi-PADAS European project, in order to develop a simulation platform able to support a Human Centred Design (HCD) method for virtual design of driving assistances. This HCD tool (called COSMO-SiVIC) integrates a cognitive simulation model of the Driver (called COSMODRIVE) on a virtual Vehicle-Environment platform (SiVIC). From this future tool, it is expected to compare since the earlier stages of the technological design, virtual simulation of driving performances with and without driving assistance, and thus to appreciate the potential benefits, interests and risks of vehicle automation on road safety.

Human Driver Modelling and Simulation into a Virtual Road Environment

This paper presents the driver model developed by INRETS in the ISiPADAS project, with the aim to dynamically simulate driver’s mental activities carried out while driving. The methodology supporting this model development is based on empirical data collection on driving simulator, in the frame of a carfollowing task. After presenting the theoretical foundations of the modelling approach and the empirical data analysis, the functional architecture of our COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr (COSMODRIVE) will be described, and the type of results liable to be obtained through simulations on a virtual VehicleEnvironment platform (SiVIC) will be presented. Then, the conclusion will briefly examine the perspectives of the model applications for driving aids virtual design.

Modelling visual distraction effects on driver’s perception and cognition

This article presents a computational modelling approach for negative effects simulation of visual distraction while driving. In order to investigate these effects, an experiment was implemented on a driving simulator. Empirical data collected shows that visual distraction impacts the driving performance at perceptive and behavioural levels. The aim of this study was also to investigate and to simulate the distractive effects on drivers mental models. Indeed, driving decisions and behaviours are based on a temporal-spatial mental model, corresponding to the drivers situational awareness (SA). In case of visual distraction requiring off-road glance, mental model updating may be imperfectly done and drivers actions are thus based can differ on the situational reality. From these, a perception module, interfaced with cognitive functions of a computational model named COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr, was developed and implemented for simulating visual distraction effects and human errors risks at perceptive, cognitive and behavioural levels.