Design, Analysis, and Validation of a Haptic-Based Driver Support System for Traction Control

This paper presents the design of a driver support system for the manual acceleration control of a car. The aim of the system is that of assisting the driver safely accelerating on a slippery surface. A force feedback (haptic) gas pedal guides the driver toward applying the correct throttle; the haptic-based approach enables the driver to override the system if needed. The following three main issues are addressed: 1) the choice of the feedback law; 2) the stability of the haptic interaction at the neuromusculoskeletal level, formally analyzed through the passivity framework; and 3) the tuning and the validation of the system. An experimental campaign, carried out with a driver-in-the-loop simulator in two driving scenarios, shows that the system improves safety without negatively affecting performance. The occurrences of the loss of control are reduced from 35% without haptic feedback to 10% with haptic feedback. The subjective feedback from the test drivers is also analyzed, showing acceptance.