Navigating the complex dynamics of human-automation driving: A guide to the use of the dynamical systems analysis (DSA) toolbox

Abstract

Driver-environment-automation systems exhibit a wide range of distinctive behavioral patterns that organically arise from complex interactions. To understand and quantify their emergence, we examined the nested underlying processes that contribute to observable behavior using three dynamical systems analyses: multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA), recurrence quantification analysis (RQA), and wavelet coherence analysis (WCT). As a technical demonstration of how to utilize multiple nonlinear analyses to probe multivariate data, we explain the appropriateness of each analysis for each stage of discovery, the information each provides, and the application of that information to driving. Results revealed that driving behaviors are influenced by both long-range (e.g., decision-making) and short-range (e.g., reaction time) processes whose relative contribution differs for the easier straight sections and more challenging S-curve sections of the track. The discussed methods provide information about (a) the timescale at which driving behaviors are being coordinated with environmental and automation considerations and (b) the time points where peak coordination is localized. This paper illustrates and empirically examines the utility of the Dynamical Systems Analysis (DSA) toolbox in understanding the behaviors of complex systems and highlights important considerations for researchers seeking to utilize this approach in their research.