Joost de Winter
Prof. dr. ir. Joost de Winter
Cognitive Robotics Department
Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, the Netherlands
E-mail: j.c.f.dewinter@tudelft.nl
Biographical Information
Birth: March 7, 1979; The Netherlands.
Educational Background
2009, PhD (cum laude), Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Delft University of Technology
Dissertation title: "Advancing simulation-based driver training"
2004, MSc, AeroSpace Engineering
Delft University of Technology
Research Field: ‘Cognitive Human-Robot Interaction’
My research focuses on Cognitive Human-Robot Interaction, specifically on developing touchless interactions between humans and machines. While my primary focus is on the application of these interactions in car driving, my research has broad implications in aviation and the medical domain as well. As a member of the Department of Cognitive Robotics at 3mE, the cognitive aspect of human-robot interactions is of paramount importance to my work.
With the rapid advancement of technology, mechanical devices are evolving into computerized systems that use sensors to gather data, make decisions, and execute actions. Automated driving is a prime example of these developments, and it has the potential to greatly improve road safety. Unfortunately, human error is still a significant cause of road accidents, and automated driving is not a complete solution. While a driver in an automated vehicle does not need to control the steering wheel and pedals, they still need to be attentive to the road and the subsystems, set automation modes, and regain control when the automated vehicle exceeds its operational envelope. Thus, the need for a touchless supervisory role remains essential.
However, there is a downside to automation. Humans often struggle with the supervisory task required in touchless interactions. Studies have shown that humans lose situational awareness, become distracted, over-rely on automation, or become overwhelmed if the automation fails. Therefore, my primary research question is centered on creating safe and productive human-machine cooperation.
Adaptive Automation. One of the most exciting innovations in this field is automation that adapts to the human state. By automatically switching control between human and machine, a synthesis of human and machine capabilities is achieved. For instance, if a driver is distracted, as measured using eye-tracking, the car could take over control. Other examples include automation that verbalizes what the human has or has not seen or adapts to human stress levels as measured with physiological equipment. Combined with gesture-based control, human-machine interface cooperation becomes entirely touchless. The ultimate research goal is to create a symbiosis of human and machine cognition.
Operator Assessment and Feedback. In addition, my research focuses on operator assessment and feedback. By analyzing the data collected by contemporary cars, we aim to identify a driver's strengths and weaknesses and provide real-time tactile, auditory, and visual feedback. Our vision is to understand why some drivers make errors and others commit violations, which has broad theoretical and practical implications.
Multiple Humans and Machines. Moreover, multi-agent human-machine cooperation is also a crucial research area. As vehicle-to-vehicle communication and cloud-based data exchange become increasingly common, road users will exchange perception and knowledge, leading to distributed situation awareness. Examples of multi-agent interactions include an automated car that shares its intentions with pedestrians or warns of an oncoming road user. Additionally, we are exploring the use of augmented feedback for inter-road-user cooperation, which allows for customized feedback to road users.
In conclusion, the challenge for the upcoming years is to determine how human and automated agents can exchange information while being supported by real-time feedback. Our research combines classical engineering methods with insights from psychology and computer science. Furthermore, privacy concerns regarding information exchange are taken into consideration in our research.
Detection of eye contact between a pedestrian and a driver using two eye-trackers (PhD thesis Vishal Onkhar)
PhD Students Supervised
PhD degree obtained: Stefan de Groot, Mehdi Saffarian, Bastiaan Petermeijer, Daniel Heikoop, Ewout Arkenbout, Pavlo Bazilinskyy, Yke Bauke Eisma, Peter van Leeuwen, Christopher Cabrall, Zhenji Lu, Natalia Kovácsová, Sina Nordhoff, Sarvesh Kolekar, Timo Melman, Wilbert Tabone.
Ongoing: Fabian Doubek, Vishal Onkhar, Siri Hegna Berge, Tom Driessen, Angèle Picco, Salvo Cucinella, Renchi Zhang.
Projects
Disconnected: Assessing the Effects of Technology on Youth Loneliness (NWA Loneliness Call). https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/five-projects-awarded-in-nwa-loneliness-call
Towards Safe Mobility for All: A Data-Driven Approach (NWO 'Transitions in Behavior'). https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/twelve-consortia-receive-funding-research-within-transitions-and-behaviour
Shape-IT. Supporting the Interaction of Humans and Automated Vehicles: Preparing for the Environment of Tomorrow. https://www.shape-it.eu
A replication study of ‘pupil size as related to interest value of visual stimuli’ (NWO Replication grant). https://www.nwo.nl/en/projects/40116083
How should automated vehicles communicate with other road users? (NWO VIDI, 2018–2024).
Motorist: MOTOrcycle Rider Integrated SafeTy (Marie Curie ITN, 2013–2017).
HFauto: Human Factors of Automated Driving (Marie Curie ITN, 2013–2017). https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/605817
Our work on automated driving won the 2014 Human Factors Prize.
Preventing young driver car crashes through driving simulators (NWO VENI, 2010–2012).
DriveObs: Driver Observation in Car Simulators (2010–2014).
Publications / Output
Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=MJ3SNBAAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&pagesize=100
Datasets: https://data.4tu.nl/authors/0f7c7098-0807-40e0-ab07-e8ed9e370678
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joost-De-Winter
PURE: J.C.F. de Winter – Research output — TU Delft Research Portal
TU Delft's MSc thesis repository: https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/search/contributor%3A%22de%20Winter%2C%20J.C.F.%22
Overview of submitted and published papers: Publications Joost de Winter
Editorial Board Membership
Accident Analysis & Prevention (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/accident-analysis-and-prevention/editorial-board)
Ergonomics (https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=editorialBoard&journalCode=terg20)
Human Factors (https://journals.sagepub.com/editorial-board/hfs)
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/transportation-research-part-f-traffic-psychology-and-behaviour/editorial-board)
IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems (associate editor; 2020–2023)
Educational Services
Director of Studies of the MSc Robotics (2021–2023)
MSc coordinator of the MSc Robotics (2020–2023)
MSc coordinator of the Track Vehicle Engineering of the MSc Mechanical Engineering (2018–2020)
Teaching
RO47006 Human-Robot Interaction (2020 onward, course responsible from 2023 onward)
RO47000/RO47010 Student Portfolio (2020–2022)
ME41080 (formerly WB2404) Human-machine systems (lecturer since 2005, course responsible, 2011–2021)
BM41045 (formerly BM1104) Experimental Design, Statistics & the Human (course responsible, 2015–2019)
WBTP303 BSc Research Project (various roles: session chair, jury member, jury chair, methodology lecturer, coordinator, group supervisor, 2009–onward)
WB3190IO Automotive Safety & Human Factors (lecturer, project-based education, 2012–2019)
ME1100 Automotive Crash Safety; Active & Passive Safety Systems (guest lecturer, 2008–2011)
WB2306 The Human Controller (guest lecturer, 2010–2013)
IO3640 Automotive Context (guest lecturer, 2011–2012)
BM1230 Selected Topics in Tissue Biomechanics and Implants (guest lecturer, 2012)
Fun
Contributions to The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS)