The Effects of Switching Time on Shared Human-Robot Control Available to Purchase

In human-robot shared control, control authority is shared between human operators and automatic systems. Switching from one state to another can make the overall system unstable, even though the stability in each state is guaranteed. This issue is investigated in simulation using a Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), which guides a vehicle along a lane, while allowing lane changes, if desired by the human. An interface allows a human to input a steering control signal with a joystick and provides visual feedback of lane-position. The total steering command is the combination of the LKAS control signal and the human steering input. System performance is explored as the vehicle switches among different levels of cooperation between the human and the automatic driving system. The minimum time permitted between lane changes is an important parameter. As this time is decreased, user intent and the automatic controller are in conflict more often, resulting in larger control efforts from both user and automatic controller.