A Simulator Study Comparing Characteristics of Manual and Automated Driving During Lane Changes of Long Combination Vehicles

This paper presents a back-to-back performance comparison of lane-change maneuvers using two automated driving approaches and manual driving. The lane changes were conducted in a moving-base truck driving simulator using an A-double long combination vehicle. One of the automated driving approaches was based on driver model control and the other used optimization-based control. The comparison addresses lane change and braking, both initiation and execution, from the perspective of driver behavior and defined characteristic variables. We also discuss combined braking and steering behavior using a moderately safety-critical lane-change scenario. The purpose of this paper is to improve driving automation in early development by comparing and learning from professional truck drivers to enable higher driver acceptance.