The Transport Research Unit (TRU) at the Faculty of
Engineering and Architecture of AUB has just received the region’s possibly
most advanced automobile driving simulator, a $150,000 machine that will allow
researchers to investigate a wide range of topics spanning the domains of
traffic engineering, road safety, as well as driver behavior and cognition. The
DS-600c Research Simulator is built by DriveSafety and features a fully
integrated, high performance, high fidelity driving simulation system designed
for use in driving research and training applications.
The simulator, housed in the Bechtel Engineering
building, features a full-width automobile cab surrounded by large 180°
wraparound viewing screens. The cab includes the windshield, driver and
passenger seats, center console, as well as dash and instrumentation. Real-time
motion simulation is provided through a specially designed platform. Using
advanced scenario authoring tools, the simulator provides an ideal environment
for researchers to create purpose-built driving scenarios to accomplish their
desired research goals. “Driving laboratories” may be developed by leveraging
the extensive library of roads, intersections, vehicles, traffic patterns and
landscapes, plus the ability to script specific traffic events and behaviors
and to perform advance real-time data collection while participants drive the
simulator.
“This is a significant new addition to the
Department of Civil Engineering’s research infrastructure,” Salah Sadek,
department chairman noted as he observed the final tests being conducted on the
simulator. “This simulator will enable the relationship between the driver and
the vehicle to be thoroughly investigated, and opens up the possibility for
investigating a wide range of research topics as well as providing
opportunities for numerous inter-departmental final year projects.”
“The driver is immersed in a real driving
environment,” said civil engineering professor and director of TRU Isam Kaysi,
who is working on bringing together a multidisciplinary research team from
various departments within and outside of FEA to capitalize on the new
simulator. “The driver feels as if he or she is actually driving and
experiences the associated sights, sounds and emotional responses.” The
vehicle’s movements and the driver’s responses are all recoded by the system
for later analysis.
The
simulator was funded by a grant from ASHA.
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