Adaptive interactive human-machine interface for transfer of control in autonomous vehicle simulation

1 . A driver-in-loop simulator, comprising:

a vehicle seat;

a driver view display;

a human-machine interface (HMI) display;

an input device;

a plurality of sensors; and

a controller in communication with the driver view display, the HMI display, the plurality of sensors, and the input device, wherein the controller includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, and the controller is programmed to:

receive scenario data, wherein the scenario data includes predefined driving scenarios for an autonomous vehicle, the predefined driving scenarios include traffic vehicle behavior, targeting routes, and transfer of control (TOC) trigger conditions, wherein the TOC trigger conditions include a situation where a user, defined as a human driver, should disengage autonomous driving and should take manual control of the autonomous vehicle, including when the autonomous vehicle does not detect a leading vehicle, when particular weather conditions are detected, inaccurate location data, sensor failure by one or more of the plurality of sensors, and when the autonomous vehicle cannot handle a complexity of a surrounding situation;

simulate a driving scenario by the autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving scenario is based on the scenario data to simulate driving of the autonomous vehicle while the user is in the vehicle seat of the driver-in-loop simulator, wherein a dynamic scenario module parses the scenario data and places all traffic participants in a virtual environment within the driving scenario;

command the driver view display to show the driving scenario;

command the HMI display to show a location of the autonomous vehicle and road network layout;

detect a transfer of control (TOC) event, wherein the TOC event is an event in which one or more of the TOC trigger conditions are met;

in response to detecting the TOC event, display a notification on the HMI display that the TOC event has occurred; and

in response to detecting the TOC event, detect an input provided by the user of the driver-in-loop simulator through the input device, wherein the input is indicative that the user took control of a simulation experienced through the driver-in-loop simulator.

2 . The driver-in-loop simulator of claim 1 , wherein the input device is a steering wheel.

3 . The driver-in-loop simulator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to record the input provided by the user in response to detecting the TOC event.

4 . The driver-in-loop simulator of claim 3 , wherein the TOC event is the sensor failure by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

5 . A method for simulating an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

providing a vehicle seat, a driver view display, a human-machine interface (HMI) display, an input device, a plurality of sensors, and a controller in communication with the driver view display, the HMI display, the plurality of sensors, and the input device;

receiving scenario data, wherein the scenario data includes predefined scenarios for the autonomous vehicle, the predefined scenarios include traffic vehicle behavior, targeting routes, and transfer of control (TOC) trigger conditions, wherein the TOC trigger conditions include a situation where a user, defined as a human driver, should disengage autonomous driving and should take manual control of the autonomous vehicle, including when the autonomous vehicle does not detect a leading vehicle, particular weather conditions are detected, inaccurate location data, sensor failure by one or more of the plurality of sensors, and when the autonomous vehicle cannot handle a complexity of a surrounding situation;

simulating a driving scenario by the autonomous vehicle, wherein the driving scenario is based on the scenario data to simulate driving of the autonomous vehicle while the user is in the vehicle seat of the driver-in-loop simulator, wherein a dynamic scenario module parses the scenario data and places all traffic participants in a virtual environment within the driving scenario;

commanding the driver view display to show the driving scenario;

detecting a transfer of control (TOC) event, wherein the TOC event is an event in which one or more of the TOC trigger conditions are met;

in response to detecting the TOC event, displaying a notification on the human-machine interface (HMI) display that the TOC event has occurred; and

in response to detecting the TOC event, detecting an input provided by the user of the driver-in-loop simulator through the input device, wherein the input is indicative that the user took control of a simulation experienced through the driver-in-loop simulator.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the input device is a steering wheel.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising recording the input provided by the user in response to detecting the TOC event.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the TOC event is the sensor failure by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the notification includes a yellow steering wheel and text indicative that the user should manually take over control of the driver-in-loop simulator.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising showing, via the HMI display, a green steering wheel and a text indicative that the user successfully took over manual control of the driver-in-the loop simulator after the user takes manual control of the driver-in-the loop simulator.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising, showing, via the HMI display, a red steering wheel and text indicative that the driver-in-the-loop simulator is disengaging autonomous driving after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the TOC event occurred.