Electrovibration technology enables tactile texture rendering on capacitive touchscreens by modulating friction between the finger and the screen through electrostatic attraction forces, generated by applying an alternating voltage signal to the screen. Accurate signal calibration is essential for robust texture rendering but remains challenging due to variations in sliding speed, applied force, and individual skin mechanics, all of which unpredictably affect frictional behavior. Here, we investigate how exploration conditions affect electrovibration-induced finger friction on touchscreens and the role of skin mechanics in this process. Ten participants slid their index fingers across an electrovibration-enabled touchscreen at five sliding speeds (20 similar to 100 mm/s) and applied force levels (0.2 similar to 0.6 N). Contact forces and skin accelerations were measured while amplitude modulated voltage signals spanning the tactile frequency range were applied to the screen. We modeled the finger-touchscreen friction response as a first-order system and the skin mechanics as a mass-spring-damper system. Results showed that sliding speed influenced the friction response's cutoff frequency, along with the estimated finger moving mass and stiffness. For every 1 mm/s increase in speed, the cutoff frequency, the finger moving mass, and stiffness increased by 13.8 Hz, 3.23 x 10-5 kg, and 4.04 N/m, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that finger stiffness had a greater impact on the cutoff frequency than moving mass. Notably, we observed a substantial inter-participant variability in both finger-display interaction and skin mechanics parameters. Finally, we developed a speed-dependent friction model to support consistent and perceptually stable electrovibration-based haptic feedback across varying user conditions.

An online pilot manual control behavior identification method, based on recursive low-order time-series model estimation, is presented and validated using experimental data. Eight participants performed compensatory tracking tasks with time-varying vehicle dynamics, where, at an unpredictable moment during a run, a sudden degradation in dynamics could occur. They were instructed to push a button when they detected a change in dynamics. Two methods to automatically detect the moment when pilot adaptation occurs from online estimated parameter traces are discussed. Results show that pilots are more accurate in detecting changes than either algorithm. But when the algorithms are correct, they are often quicker to detect pilot adaptation than pilots themselves. The presented techniques have potential but need improvements.

This paper investigates human pitch motion perception under varying visual and mechanical motion conditions and evaluates the predictive performance of the Subjective Vertical Conflict (SVC) model. Thirty-two participants experienced controlled ramp-like pitch rotation stimuli at four mean rotational rates (0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 degrees per second) across four visual conditions (Only Vision, External Vision, Internal Vision, and No Vision) and were asked to continuously indicate their perceived rotation with respect to gravity. Results showed that participants consistently underestimated pitch rotation amplitude by around 20% and exhibited an average response delay of 0.75 seconds, while showing no significant effects of vision when comparing across the three conditions involving mechanical pitch motion.With published parameter values, the SVC model generated highly unrealistic pitch perception predictions.The SVC-VR model (omitting a visual verticality input) even predicted an incorrect perceived motion direction in the Only Vision condition. Retuning the SVC-VR model's parameters was found to significantly improve its fit to the measured subjective data, and incorporating vestibular perception thresholds in the model further enhanced accuracy.These results reveal the complexity of sensory integration in motion perception and demonstrate crucial limitations of current models and published parameter values.Future research should validate model adaptations across more diverse motion paradigms for motion perception and motion sickness to enhance prediction accuracy in virtual reality, automated vehicles, and simulator environments.

As users transition from drivers to passengers in automated vehicles, they often take their eyes off the road to engage in non-driving activities. In driving simulators, visual motion is presented with scaled or without physical motion, leading to a mismatch between expected and perceived motion. Both conditions elicit motion sickness, calling for enhanced vehicle and simulator motion control strategies. Given the large differences in sickness susceptibility between individuals, effective countermeasures must address this at a personal level. This paper combines a group-averaged sensory conflict model with an individualized Accumulation Model (AM) to capture individual differences in motion sickness susceptibility across various conditions. The feasibility of this framework is verified using three datasets involving sickening conditions: (1) vehicle experiments with and without outside vision, (2) corresponding vehicle and driving simulator experiments, and (3) vehicle experiments with various non-driving-related tasks. All datasets involve passive motion, mirroring experience in automated vehicles. The preferred model (AM2) can fit individual motion sickness responses across conditions using only two individualized parameters (gain K1 and time constant T1) instead of the original five, ensuring unique parameters for each participant and generalisability across conditions. An average improvement factor of 1.7 in fitting individual motion sickness responses is achieved with the AM2 model compared to the group-averaged AM0 model. This framework demonstrates robustness by accurately modeling distinct motion and vision conditions. A Gaussian mixture model of the parameter distribution across a population is developed, which predicts motion sickness in an unseen dataset with an average RMSE of 0.47. This model reduces the need for large-scale population experiments, accelerating research and development.

The identification of time-varying, adaptive behavior of a human operator in basic manual control tasks is currently still a focus area, since most methodologies only account for time-invariant system dynamics. Previous authors have proven that estimation techniques based on ARX model structures can be used to identify time-varying HO model parameters. However, ARX methods do present several problems, such as a persistent bias in the obtained estimates of the HO model poles (neuromuscular parameters) that increases due to coupled noise and system models. Therefore, in this paper a novel identification technique based on Box-Jenkins (BJ) models is proposed, to achieve a better match between the BJ estimator's inherently uncoupled system and noise models and measured HO control dynamics. The identification process was tested offline (batch-fitting) using Ordinary Least Squares and the Prediction Error Method for both ARX and BJ models, respectively, or online when Recursive Least Squares and Recursive PEM are employed. The BJ estimator has excellent potential as an identification tool due to its bias reduction capabilities, as clearly shown in batch-fitting, although the non-linear optimization processes decrease its convergence speed by 500%. An RPEM algorithm with a forgetting factor of lambda = 0.99609 and a first-order remnant model incorporated in the BJ structure was tested on Monte Carlo simulation and experimental data. While the recursive BJ estimator showed the same bias-diminishing advantages also seen in batch-fitting, the non-linear RPEM estimator's results showed much slower convergence after HO behavior adaptations and frequent instabilities of the obtained parameter estimates. Hence, further research is needed for implementing a practical bias-free HO model estimator based on the BJ model structure.

This paper presents a three-step validation approach for subjective rating predictions of driving simulator motion incongruences based on objective mismatches between reference vehicle and simulator motion. This approach relies on using high-resolution rating predictions of open-loop driving (participants being driven) for ratings of motion in closed-loop driving (participants driving themselves). A driving simulator experiment in an urban scenario is described, in which 42 participants participated. In the experiment’s first phase, participants actively drove themselves (i.e., closed-loop). By recording the drives of the participants and playing these back to themselves (open-loop) in the second phase, participants experienced the same motion in both phases. Participants rated the motion after each maneuver and at the end of each drive. In the third phase they again drove open-loop, but rated the motion continuously, only possible in open-loop driving. Results show that a rating model from literature can predict 70% of the measured continuous rating variance. Second, the maximum of the measured continuous ratings correlates to both the maneuver-based (P = 0.88) and overall (P = 0.70) ratings, allowing for predictions of both rating types based on the continuous rating model. Third, using Bayes’ analysis it is then shown that both the maneuver-based and overall ratings between the closed-loop and open-loop drives are equivalent. Combined, this shows that the high-resolution, open-loop continuous ratings are valid for analyzing motion in closed-loop driving simulation. Furthermore, the predictions of maneuver-based and overall ratings can be used as an accurate trade-off method of motion cueing settings.

This article discusses a long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network that uses raw time-domain data obtained in compensatory tracking tasks as input features for classifying (the adaptation of) human manual control with single- and double-integrator controlled element dynamics. Data from two different experiments were used to train and validate the LSTM classifier, including investigating effects of several key data preprocessing settings. The model correctly classifies human control behavior (cross-experiment validation accuracy 96%) using short 1.6-s data windows. To achieve this accuracy, it is found crucial to scale/standardize the input feature data and use a combination of input signals that includes the tracking error and human control output. A possible online application of the classifier was tested on data from a third experiment with time-varying and slightly different controlled element dynamics. The results show that the LSTM classification is still successful, which makes it a promising online technique to rapidly detect adaptations in human control behavior.

Due to the difficulty of reproducing inertial motion of urban scenarios in moving-base driving simulators, accurate evaluation methods of the motion are required. In this paper, an open-loop driving experiment in an urban scenario is discussed, in which 61 participants evaluated the motion cueing through an overall rating and a continuous rating method. Three MCAs were tested that represent different levels of motion cueing quality. It is investigated under which conditions the continuous rating method provides reliable data in urban scenarios through the estimation of Cronbach’s Alpha and McDonald’s Omega. Results show that the worse the motion cueing is rated, the higher the reliability of that rating data is and the less the continuous rating and overall rating correlate. This suggests that subjective ratings for motion quality are dominated by (moments of) incongruent motion while congruent motion is less important. Through a forward regression approach it is shown that participants’ rating behaviour can be described by a delayed and first-order low-pass filtered response to the lateral specific force mismatch (66.9%), as well a similar response to the longitudinal specific force mismatch (33.1%). By this better understanding of incongruent motion, and the reliability of the evaluations, incongruences in urban driving simulations can be more accurately targeted and reduced.

Users of automated vehicles will engage in other activities and take their eyes off the road, making them prone to motion sickness. To resolve this, the current paper validates models predicting sickness in response to motion and visual conditions. We validate published models of vestibular and visual sensory integration that have been used for predicting motion sickness through sensory conflict. We use naturalistic driving data and laboratory motion (and vection) paradigms, such as sinusoidal translation and rotation at different frequencies, Earth-Vertical Axis Rotation, Off-Vertical Axis Rotation, Centrifugation, Somatogravic Illusion, and Pseudo-Coriolis, to evaluate different models for both motion perception and motion sickness. We investigate the effects of visual motion perception in terms of rotational velocity (visual flow) and verticality. According to our findings, the SVC I model, a 6DOF model based on the Subjective Vertical Conflict (SVC) theory, with visual rotational velocity input is effective at estimating motion sickness. However, it does not correctly replicate motion perception in paradigms such as roll-tilt perception during centrifuge, pitch perception during somatogravic illusion, and pitch perception during pseudo-Coriolis motions. On the other hand, the Multi-Sensory Observer Model (MSOM) accurately models motion perception in all considered paradigms, but does not effectively capture the frequency sensitivity of motion sickness, and the effects of vision on sickness. For both models (SVC I and MSOM), the visual perception of rotational velocity strongly affects sickness and perception. Visual verticality perception does not (yet) contribute to sickness prediction, and contributes to perception prediction only for the somatogravic illusion. In conclusion, the SVC I model with visual rotation velocity feedback is the current preferred option to design vehicle control algorithms for motion sickness reduction, while the MSOM best predicts perception. A unified model that jointly captures perception and motion sickness remains to be developed.

An improved understanding of pilot’s control behavior adaptations in response to sudden changes in the vehicle dynamics is essential for realizing adaptive support systems that remain effective when task characteristics suddenly change. In this paper, we replicate, extend, and validate the ‘adaptive pilot model’ proposed by Hess to verify its effectiveness for predicting human adaptive behavior in pursuit tracking tasks. The model relies on a Triggering function, that compares the current tracking performance to a stored nominal (pre-transition) state, and an Adaptation mechanism which determines new adapted human operator gain settings proportional to the magnitude of the off-nominal error occurrences. For model validation data from a previous experiment were used, where ten participants performed a pursuit tracking task with transitions in controlled element dynamics from a single to a double integrator, and vice versa. Overall, with an added human operator delay and participant-specific inner- and outer-loop gain adjustments, the model was found to accurately describe the measured steady-state tracking behavior for the participants in our data set. The results for the time-varying single integrator to double integrator transitions showed that the model can capture the transient control behavior of participants. However, the adaptive logic could only be tuned to activate for participants that had a pre-transition crossover frequency above 0.9 rad/s. Furthermore, the model was not able to capture the change in control behavior for transitions from a double to a single integrator. Here, as no distinct degradation in tracking performance occurs for such a transition to a more easily controlled system, the model's proposed Triggering logic will not activate. Further investigation and more experiment data are required for improving the applicability of the model's adaptive logic and to enable more accurate prediction of adaptive human control behavior.

This paper describes how the kinematic configuration of a driving simulator's motion system affects the rendered inertial motion. The specific force and rotational rate equations between the point where the motion is applied (Motion Reference Point (MRP)), and the point in which the driver perceives the motion (Cueing Reference Point (CRP)), are derived for three kinematic configurations: (i) a hexapod, (ii) a hexapod with an xy-drive and a yaw-drive below, and (iii) the same system as (ii), but with the yaw-drive on top. The rotational rate equations show that having a yaw-drive on top greatly complicates the motion control. Furthermore, simulation results show that, regardless of the yaw-drive location, the difference between MRP and CRP becomes noticeable for large yaw-drive excitations. For such driving simulators, the positional offset between MRP and CRP can therefore not be ignored, complicating the motion control.

In the design of human-like steering support systems, driver models are essential for matching the supporting automation's behavior to that of the human driver. However, current driver models are very limited in capturing the driver's adaptation to key task variables such as road width and visibility (i.e., ‘preview’ of the road ahead). This paper uses a recently proposed, novel control-theoretical model for centerline tracking to investigate driver steering in lane-keeping tasks with restricted and unrestricted preview, in an attempt to substantially extend this model's validity. Using data from a tailored driving simulator experiment, three driver control loops (feedforward, heading and position feedback) are separately quantified using system identification techniques. The results show that when preview is restricted, drivers use all of the remaining preview to anticipate the curves of the road ahead, and are no longer able to ‘smooth’ tight curves in the road trajectory (i.e., corner cutting). When sufficient preview and lane width are available, the time to line crossing increases, and steering behavior is less aggressive and more intermittent, or more ‘satisficing’. The novel driver steering model captures these adaptations very well (over 95% of the steering actions) and can thereby be instrumental in realizing human-like steering automation and support systems.

Aerodynamic model identification remains essential for simulator operations and control system design and operations. In this paper, state-of-the-art methodologies for aerodynamic model identification and validation are presented, together with a number of novel applications of the identified models that were recently investigated and developed at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft University of Technology. In particular, this paper focuses on methodologies for identifying models of aerodynamic stall from flight data, as well as multivariate spline-based aerodynamic model identification methods, together with their applications in flight simulation and advanced flight control.

Users of automated vehicles will move away from being drivers to passengers, preferably engaged in other activities such as reading or using laptops and smartphones, which will strongly increase susceptibility to motion sickness. Similarly, in driving simulators, the presented visual motion with scaled or even without any physical motion causes an illusion of passive motion, creating a conflict between perceived and expected motion, and eliciting motion sickness. Given the very large differences in sickness susceptibility between individuals, we need to consider sickness at an individual level. This paper combines a group-averaged sensory conflict model with an individualized accumulation model to capture individual differences in motion sickness susceptibility across various vision conditions. The model framework can be used to develop personalized models for users of automated vehicles and improve the design of new motion cueing algorithms for simulators. The feasibility and accuracy of this model framework are verified using two existing datasets with sickening. Both datasets involve passive motion, representative of being driven by an automated vehicle. The model is able to fit an individuals motion sickness responses using only 2 parameters (gain K1 and time constant T1), as opposed to the 5 parameters in the original model. This ensures unique parameters for each individual. Better fits, on average by a factor of 1.7 of an individuals motion sickness levels, are achieved as compared to using only the group-averaged model. Thus, we find that models predicting group-averaged sickness incidence cannot be used to predict sickness at an individual level. On the other hand, the proposed combined model approach predicts individual motion sickness levels and thus can be used to control sickness.