Human inspiration for autonomous vehicle tactics
Name
74491126-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
39.89 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
322d68994d224a455556eda91d88d110
Author(s)
Beaton, Jonathan Scott
Advisor(s)
Christopher Dever and Brent Appleby.
Alternative Title
Human inspiration for AV tactics
Date Issued
2006
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Tactical control is needed in environments characterized by uncertainty and continuous, dynamic change. Given the likelihood of time constraints and high risks associated with poor tactical choices, current autonomous vehicles do not possess the decision making abilities to successfully perform in these environments. However, human experts frequently operate in these domains where they are forced to make quick, reactive decisions based on incomplete information. We propose, then, that the first step in augmenting autonomous vehicles (AVs) with improved tactical control capabilities is to learn, encode, and apply tactics exhibited by human experts. To test the method, five human subjects were given the task of performing an armed reconnaissance mission in a simulation environment over multiple cases with varying terrain and probability of enemy contact. By scoring the performance in each case, the best actions and decisions were filtered out and analyzed in depth to understand the strategies and tactics behind them. Human cognitive models and decision making theories were utilized to determine the cognitive processes underneath the decisions as displayed by the human subjects' think aloud reports and surveys.
(cont.) A baseline autonomous vehicle controller was designed independent of the human-in-the-loop experiments that could also perform the reconnaissance mission. After capturing the human tactics and encoding them into statechart form, a revised AV displayed a superior ability to engage enemy contacts uncovered during the reconnaissance when compared to the baseline AV. A final framework is presented that outlines how to learn and apply human-inspired tactics in future settings.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2006.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-260).
Subjects
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
