Automan: A psychologically based model of a human driver

Abstract

This paper describes the design of an autonomous agent for controlling vehicles in a traffic simulator. This agent is based on recent developments in artificial intelligence, autonomous robotics and cognitive psychology. The goal of the agent is to simulate realistic driving behavior. The agent is composed of four control systems. The Perception system controls visual attention and gaze direction. The Behavior System controls high level driving behavior. The Action system controls the actions required for low-level control of the car. The Emotion System implements the influence emotions have on human driving behavior. Furthermore, it contains three different types of memories. A declarative memory contains the knowledge the agent has about the world. A procedural memory contains all rules and procedures required for driving. Lastly, a working memory is used for storing representations of the actual situation. These systems and memories are realized using a behavior based approach, in which the overall behavior of the agent is the result of the interaction between small and simple behavioral patterns. Fuzzy logic is used to assure natural flow of information and to make humanlike reasoning possible