Workshop on Computational Models of Human Road User Behavior for Evaluation of Automated Vehicles

About the workshop

Virtual evaluation of automated vehicles (AVs) increasingly relies on models of human road user behavior. However, the development, validation, and application of such models is challenging. This event brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss advances and open questions in road user behavior modeling in the context of AV evaluation, focusing on model development and application for credible AV evaluation.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to)

Cognitive/mechanistic modeling of human road user decision-making, perception, and interaction
Data-driven and generative AI models of behavior
Hybrid mechanistic and AI-based behavior modeling
Methods for validating and benchmarking road user behavior models for AV testing
Behavioral reference models for AVs, including models of “careful and competent” human drivers
Virtual human agents in simulation-based AV evaluation and testing
Use of road user behavior models by industry, government, and regulatory bodies

Important note: ITSC registration is required for attending the workshop. You can register for the workshop day only or for the full conference (see details here). We will send out abstract acceptance notifications by June 25 to ensure that workshop attendees can avail of early registration fees.

In addition to the workshop, we are organizing an invited session during the main ITSC conference on the topic of road user behavior models. All ITSC attendees with full conference registration are welcome to join the invited session (the detailed schedule will be announced in due time).

Important dates

Abstract submission deadline

June 20, 2026

Notification of acceptance

June 25, 2026

ITSC early-bird registration deadline

June 30, 2026

Workshop date

September 15, 2026

Call for abstracts

We invite abstracts on computational models of road user behavior, their validation, and the use of such models in automated vehicle simulation or as safety reference models. Accepted abstracts will be presented as oral presentations or posters during the workshop, held in person on September 15, 2026, as part of IEEE ITSC 2026 in Naples, Italy. Abstracts based on previously published work are welcome, as are abstracts reporting work-in-progress. We encourage relevant submissions from academia, industry, policy-making, and standardization bodies, as well as other organizations involved in the design, testing, evaluation, regulation, or deployment of automated vehicles.

Submit an abstract