Design of an optimal low-cost platform for actuating a driving simulator

Interactive simulation in automotive driving has enhanced the studies of driver behaviors, traffic control, and vehicle dynamics. The development of virtual reality (VR) technology leads to low cost, yet high fidelity, driving simulator become technically feasible. However, a good implementation of high realism and real-time interactive three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment (VE) in an automotive driving simulation are facing many technical challenges such as accessibility, dissimilarity, scalability, and sufficiency. The objective of this paper is to construct a virtual reality system for an automotive driving simulator. The technology with variations of terrain, roadway, buildings, and greenery was studied and developed in the VE of the simulator. Several important technical solutions in the construction of VE for driving simulation had been identified. Finally, the virtual reality system was interactively used in a driver-in-loop simulation for providing direct road elevation inputs to the analysis of vehicle dynamics model (VDM). The results indicated identical matching between the VDM inputs and the VE outputs. The outcomes of this paper lead to a human-in-the-loop foundation of a low-cost automotive driving simulator in the vehicle engineering research.

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Supporting Drivers of Partially Automated Cars through an Adaptive Digital In-Car Tutor

Information ◽

10.3390/info11040185 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 185 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anika Boelhouwer ◽

Arie Paul van den Beukel ◽

Mascha C. van der Voort ◽

Willem B. Verwey ◽

Marieke H. Martens

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Low Cost ◽

Control Group ◽

Time Saving ◽

Guided Learning ◽

Information Brochure ◽

Simulator Study

Drivers struggle to understand how, and when, to safely use their cars’ complex automated functions. Training is necessary but costly and time consuming. A Digital In-Car Tutor (DIT) is proposed to support drivers in learning about, and trying out, their car automation during regular drives. During this driving simulator study, we investigated the effects of a DIT prototype on appropriate automation use and take-over quality. The study had three sessions, each containing multiple driving scenarios. Participants needed to use the automation when they thought that it was safe, and turn it off if it was not. The control group read an information brochure before driving, while the experiment group received the DIT during the first driving session. DIT users showed more correct automation use and a better take-over quality during the first driving session. The DIT especially reduced inappropriate reliance behaviour throughout all sessions. Users of the DIT did show some under-trust during the last driving session. Overall, the concept of a DIT shows potential as a low-cost and time-saving solution for safe guided learning in partially automated cars.

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The Time Cost of Head-Up Displays for Older Drivers: Critical Event Onset, Task Location, and Display Type

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/107118139704100263 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 1008-1012 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J.K. Caird ◽

J. Chugh

Keyword(s):

Verbal Memory ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Low Cost ◽

Older Drivers ◽

Display Type ◽

Critical Event ◽

Safety Issues ◽

The Road ◽

Elderly Drivers ◽

Display Location

The principle advantage of a head-up display (HUD) is that a driver does not have to take their eyes off the road. However, the advantage afforded by a HUD may be lost when surprising or unexpected events occur in the traffic environment. This study sought to determine the time-costs for elderly drivers associated with responses to the appearance of a pedestrian (critical event) while engaged in a HUD task. Sixteen older drivers (65 to 81, Mean = 73) interacted with a number of tasks presented in a low-cost driving simulator. Critical event onset after engaging in a HUD task (+100, +250, +1000 ms), display location (head-up, head-down), tracking difficulty (easy, hard), and display type (visual search, verbal memory) were the within-subjects variables. Analyses of perception-response time (PRT) and missed events (error) indicate that braking to a critical event, while performing a display task, is affected by the interaction between the temporal and spatial limitations of visual attention. HUD design and safety issues are briefly considered.

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Decomposition-Assisted Computational Technique Based on Surrogate Modeling for Real-Time Simulations

Complexity ◽

10.1155/2017/1686230 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nariman Fouladinejad ◽

Nima Fouladinejad ◽

Mohamad Kasim Abdul Jalil ◽

Jamaludin Mohd Taib

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Driving Simulator ◽

Low Cost ◽

Computational Cost ◽

Surrogate Modeling ◽

Computational Technique ◽

Model Decomposition ◽

Real Time Simulation ◽

Time Simulation ◽

Simulation Systems

The development of complex simulation systems is extremely costly as it requires high computational capability and expensive hardware. As cost is one of the main issues in developing simulation components, achieving real-time simulation is challenging and it often leads to intensive computational burdens. Overcoming the computational burden in a multidisciplinary simulation system that has several subsystems is essential in producing inexpensive real-time simulation. In this paper, a surrogate-based computational framework was proposed to reduce the computational cost in a high-dimensional model while maintaining accurate simulation results. Several well-known metamodeling techniques were used in creating a global surrogate model. Decomposition approaches were also used to simplify the complexities of the system and to guide the surrogate modeling processes. In addition, a case study was provided to validate the proposed approach. A surrogate-based vehicle dynamic model (SBVDM) was developed to reduce computational delay in a real-time driving simulator. The results showed that the developed surrogate-based model was able to significantly reduce the computing costs, unlike the expensive computational model. The response time in surrogate-based simulation was considerably faster than the conventional model. Therefore, the proposed framework can be used in developing low-cost simulation systems while yielding high fidelity and fast computational output.

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Nonvestibular Motion Cueing in a Fixed-Base Driving Simulator: Effects on Driver Braking and Cornering Performance

Presence Teleoperators & Virtual Environments ◽

10.1162/pres_a_00039 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 117-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

S. de Groot ◽

M. Mulder ◽

P. A. Wieringa

Keyword(s):

Driving Simulator ◽

Low Cost ◽

Seat Belt ◽

Steering Wheel ◽

Braking Performance ◽

Driver Performance ◽

Driving Speed ◽

Motion Cueing ◽

Fixed Base ◽

Lane Keeping

Motion platforms can be used to provide vestibular cues in a driving simulator, and have been shown to reduce driving speed and acceleration. However, motion platforms are expensive devices, and alternatives for providing motion cues need to be investigated. In independent experiments, the following eight low-cost nonvestibular motion cueing systems were tested by comparing driver performance to control groups driving with the cueing system disengaged: (1) seat belt tensioning system, (2) vibrating steering wheel, (3) motion seat, (4) screeching tire sound, (5) beeping sound, (6) road noise, (7) vibrating seat, and (8) pressure seat. The results showed that these systems are beneficial in reducing speed and acceleration and that they improve lane-keeping and/or stopping accuracy. The seat belt tensioning system had a particularly large influence on driver braking performance. This system reduced driving speed, increased stopping distance, reduced maximum deceleration, and increased stopping accuracy. It is concluded that low-cost nonvestibular motion cueing may be a welcome alternative for improving in-simulator performance so that it better matches real-world driving performance.

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