To understand driver behaviour, it’s not exactly safe to send drivers across railroad tracks in front of an approaching train, nor to put them in a vehicle that accelerates to 120 miles per hour. However, an understanding of how drivers behave in these situations provides important safety data that shapes new technologies and federal regulations. That’s where simulators come into play, allowing researchers to examine user reactions to a myriad of scenarios and technologies without ever putting people in harm’s way. Volpe recently acquired a new research driving simulator that features five 55-inch screens that wrap 180 degrees around users, providing a wide field of view that more closely emulates a real-car experience than typical single-screen training simulators. Owned by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and housed and operated by Volpe, the custom-built $250,000 driving simulator can be used to build virtual scenarios that include freeways, country roads, and urban streets, and can emulate the performance characteristics of a range of vehicle types in different weather and lighting conditions. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting