Online Learning Human Behavior for a Class of Human-in-the-Loop Systems via Adaptive Inverse Optimal Control

To enhance the machines’ intelligence, it is important for them to learn how humans perform tasks. In this article, the issue of online adaptive learning human behavior is addressed for a class of human-in-the-loop (HiTL) systems using the state measurement only. The hypothesis underlying our study is that human behavior can be described by a linear quadratic optimal control model with an unknown weighting matrix for the quadratic cost function. In this model, the weighting matrix depicts the human tradeoff of various objectives. Our aim is thus to only use the system state measurement for learning the weighting matrix under the condition that human feedback gain matrix is unknown. A novel adaptive inverse optimal control approach to online learning human behavior is proposed for the HiTL system, which integrates adaptive estimation and linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization techniques. Our approach consists of two steps: First, an adaptive law is developed to learn the human feedback gain matrix online using the system state measurement only, and second, the weighting matrix of human cost function is retrieved by solving an LMI optimization problem with the learned feedback gain matrix. Finally, simulation and experiment results on a steering assist system of intelligent vehicles are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.