Exploring the potential of standardized behaviour competencies in automated driving systems

This paper presents a comprehensive impact assessment to explore the potential benefits of harmonized behaviour competencies (BC) for automated driving systems (ADS). Typically, ADS-equipped vehicles operate within certain boundaries specified by an operational design domain (ODD), utilizing the relevant implemented BCs. Nonetheless, many regulatory and standardization-relevant documents employ BC attributes in a non-harmonized manner. The study delves into BC-related activities and applications throughout the entire ADS life cycle, affecting all aspects of the ADS value chain, to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of various stakeholders. BCs are linked to one of the four primary requirement sources at the system level. ADS-related BCs are defined through a multidisciplinary approach driven by their underlying core operating principle: the well-known sense-plan-act cycle. The crucial element within the BC specification is the identified manoeuvre pool, which forms the basis for implementing any route from point A to point B. The individual manoeuvres within the manoeuvre pool are defined by considering the needs of multiple stakeholders. They are based on three essential components: the initial condition, the expected manoeuvre, and the final condition. Furthermore, trustworthy behaviour competencies are specified, encompassing three pillars: robustness, ethics, and lawfulness. Following a detailed stakeholder analysis, several related applications are discussed to highlight the concrete advantages of implementing standardized BCs. The study concludes with a summary of the impact analysis, emphasizing key findings and action points. Lastly, a roadmap is proposed to integrate trustworthy BCs into future ADS. Concretely, the authors developed the following innovations within the scope of this article: (1) Concept for trustworthy behaviour competencies driven by law, ethics, and robustness. (2) Robustness is defined as passenger & ODD awareness and plannable & executable manoeuvre. (3) Manoeuvre pool necessary to implement an arbitrary route from point A to point B. (4) Manoeuvre specification via initial condition, expected behaviour, and final condition. (5) The potential benefits of harmonized behaviour competencies drive impact assessment.