AUTOMATED VEHICLE ROUTE SELECTION BASED ON OCCUPANT INTEREST

A navigation system (10) suitable to use on an automated vehicle (12) includes an occupant-detection device (16) and a memory (28). The occupant-detection device (16) is used to determine a degree-of-interest (18) of an occupant (14) of a vehicle (12). The degree-of-interest (18) is determined with regard to a route (20) traveled by the vehicle (12). The memory (28) used to store an interest- score (24) of the route (20). The interest-score (24) is based on the degree-of-interest (18) exhibited by the occupant (14) while traveling the route (20). The system (10) may include a controller (22). The controller (22) is in communication with the occupant-detection device (16) and the memory (28). The controller (22) is configured to operate the vehicle (12). The controller (22) selects a preferred-route (42) from a plurality of possible-routes (38). The preferred-route (42) is characterized by a maximum-value (44) of a prior-score (40) associated with each one of the plurality of possible-routes (38).