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A fuzzy-rule-based driving architecture for non-player characters in a car racing game

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Abstract

Videogame-based competitions have been the target of considerable interest among researchers over the past few years since they provide an ideal framework in which to apply soft computing techniques. One of the most popular competitions is the Simulated Car Racing Competition which, thanks to the realism implemented by recent car simulators, provides an excellent test bed for the application of autonomous driving techniques. The present work describes the design and implementation of a car controller able to deal with competitive racing situations. The complete driving architecture consists of six simple modules, each one responsible for a basic aspect of car driving. Three modules use simple functions to control gear shifting, steering movements, and pedal positions. A fourth manages speed control by means of a simple fuzzy system. The other two modules are in charge of (i) adapting the driving behaviour to the presence of other cars, and (ii) implementing a basic ‘inter-lap’ learning mechanism in order to remember key track segments and adapt the speed accordingly in future laps. The controller was evaluated in two ways. First, in runs without adversaries over several track designs, our controller allowed some of the longest distances to be covered in a set time in comparison with data from other previous controllers, and second, as a participant in the 2009 Simulated Car Racing Competition which it ended up winning.

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Notes

  1. http://www.torcs.sourceforge.net/

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under the projects Tránsito (TRA2008-06602-C03-01), CityElec (PS-370000-2009-4), and TIN2008-01948, by the Ministerio de Fomento under the project GUIADE (T9/08), and by the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, under Project P07-TIC-02970. The authors wish to thank the organizers of the 2009 Simulated Car Racing Competition for their effort in organizing the event and for allowing our team to participate without having submitted associated publications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AUTOPIA program of the Center for Automation and Robotics, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, La Poveda-Arganda del Rey, 28500, Madrid, Spain

    Enrique Onieva, Vicente Milanés & Joshue Pérez

  2. Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain

    David A. Pelta

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  1. Enrique Onieva
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  2. David A. Pelta
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  3. Vicente Milanés
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  4. Joshue Pérez
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Correspondence to Enrique Onieva.

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Onieva, E., Pelta, D.A., Milanés, V. et al. A fuzzy-rule-based driving architecture for non-player characters in a car racing game. Soft Comput 15, 1617–1629 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-011-0691-6

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