Enhancing Social Decision-Making of Autonomous Vehicles: A Mixed-Strategy Game Approach With Interaction Orientation Identification

Abstract: The integration of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) into existing human-driven traffic systems poses considerable challenges, especially within environments where human and machine interactions are frequent and complex, such as at unsignalized intersections. To deal with these challenges, we introduce a novel framework predicated on dynamic and socially-aware decision-making game theory to augment the social decision-making prowess of AVs in mixed driving environments. This comprehensive framework is delineated into three primary modules: Interaction Orientation Identification, Mixed-Strategy Game Modeling, and Expert Mode Learning. We introduce 'Interaction Orientation' as a metric to evaluate the social decision-making tendencies of various agents, incorporating both environmental factors and trajectory characteristics. The mixed-strategy game model developed as part of this framework considers the evolution of future traffic scenarios and includes a utility function that balances safety, operational efficiency, and the unpredictability of environmental conditions. To adapt to real-world driving complexities, our framework utilizes a dynamic optimization framework for assimilating and learning from expert human driving strategies. These strategies are compiled into a comprehensive strategy library, serving as a reference for future decision-making processes. The proposed approach is validated through extensive driving datasets and human-in-loop driving experiments, and the results demonstrate marked enhancements in decision timing and precision.