SIM: Real-Time and Virtual Driving Simulator-23

Motor vehicles must be safe and easy to use. Assessments are performed both in real vehicles and in driving simulators. However, many driving simulators are too expensive to purchase, too complex to use, take too long to program, and sometimes lack the desired functional characteristics. The goal of this project is to build an easy–to–use driving simulator platform through the creative use of free software (e.g., OpenDS, Roadrunner), simple hardware, and student creativity to develop a driving simulator suitable to support research on driver distraction, driver workload, and driver interfaces for partially–automated vehicles.

Our team is (1) creating driveable simulations of real roads (e.g., North Campus, I-94 from Ann  Arbor to the Detroit airport, (2) creating GUIs that allow us to rapidly simulate specific scenarios  (e.g., lane changes at specific times or places), (3) developing software to simulate partially and fully automated vehicles using the Wizard of Oz method, and (4) interfacing a low-cost motion base for the driver to provide increased realism. The team is also producing documentation, both written and video summaries, so the applications developed can be used by students and research staff without strong computer backgrounds. In addition to software development, students will learn team skills, how to build prototypes, and eventually conduct experiments with users of software/hardware to validate ease of use and functional requirements.

Meeting time and location:

To accommodate team members in other time zones who can only participate virtually, our MDP team meets Mondays at 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm ET using Zoom as well as in-person. In addition, subteams meet by themselves about once per week at a time of their choosing. Some work can be done on students’ own computers, but most are not fast enough and students spend too many weeks trying to get the CARLA software to work. For that reason, we have set up 3 computers with CARLA and steering wheel/pedal assemblies and a motion base in the UMTRI Building, room 310 on North Campus, 2901 Baxter Road. For safety reasons, that software is not to be operated remotely.

Team organization:

This team has flexible sub–teams that allow students to deepen their learning. The teams are flexibly structured to enhance creativity and opportunity for student growth. Each of the subteams has a student team leader that reports to the faculty PI. Leaders are typically those that have some degree of experience with the team and those roles are not determined by academic level. Often, the leaders are undergraduate students.  Students do not sign up for teams. Rather, when they apply, they have skills that could be useful to one or more subteams. Once everyone is onboard, the entire team looks at what needs to be done, and then matches the project needs, what students are interested in, and the skills they have to organize the project. This could include serving on multiple subteams to help with coordination.