Use of a computational simulation model of drivers’ cognition to predict decision making and behaviour while driving

Abstract This paper presents a new approach to driving experimentation, based on cognitive simulation of the driver in order to predict human behaviour. The cognitive model COSMODRIVE (i.e. COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr) has been combined with a Vehicle-Environment-Sensors platform (named SiVIC, for Simulateur Vehicule-Infrastructure-Capteur) in order to simulate, explain and predict the driver’s behaviour and mental activities. From the simulation of left turn manoeuver, an experiment has been conducted at IFSTTAR – LESCOT, where a hypothesis has been made with the simulation done by COSMODRIVE. The innovative approach is the use of a virtual simulation of a cognitive model to predict human behaviour and then analyse collected data to validate the predicted behaviour. This article describes broadly the COSMODRIVE model and the simulation made in order to define accurate experimental hypotheses. Then, we describe the driving simulator and the experiment itself. Afterwards, data analysis provides us some results allowing us to discuss and conclude about the methodology tested with this experiment.