Concept of evaluating the driver's readiness to take over control from an autonomously driving vehicle

Abstract

In a highly automated vehicle, the driver can transfer the vehicle control to the autonomous driving system, and can be engaged in non-driving activities, such as reading or watching a video, but in emergency situations, the driver should take over control. In this case, the driver may not be able to perform the driving task safely. Currently, this problem is addressed based on monitoring of the driver functional state and issuing a take-over request, however, due to its complex interdisciplinary nature, it has not yet been finally solved. The aim of this paper was to propose a new concept of evaluating the vehicle driver's readiness to take over control based on taking into account the driver's individual characteristics. The proposed concept can be used as a framework to develop a research project aimed to mitigate safety risks during the transition from automated to manual driving.