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Truck Simulator (TruckSIM)

 

The Truck Simulator (Truck SIM; an advanced commercial vehicle simulator) is based on a full-size Volvo HGV cab and is built around a top-of-the-range commercial simulator system (AutoSim AS1300). It provides a flexible and realistic platform for undertaking advanced research investigations – including recent research to reduce fatalities caused through the interaction of HGVs with cyclists and other more vulnerable road users (www.xcycle-h2020.eu).

Features:

  • Full scale real HGV cab
  • Functioning instruments and brakes – feels like the real thing!
  • Sound and motion systems providing a realistic driving experience.
  • Computer-monitored steering wheel and haptic driver feedback system.
  • Rear-view mirrors with simulated LED displays showing the actual mirror scenery during simulated driving.
  • Advanced 3D eye-tracking system capture hi-fidelity information about the driver’s focus and attention which can be matched to performance data from the Truck SIM driver interfaces.

Research Opportunities

As with the Car Simulator, research using the truck simulator is supported in areas such as driver behaviour, human-machine interaction, driver situational awareness, vehicle handling, characteristics, and road layout/design.  Clearly, the vehicle dynamics of a large commercial or goods vehicle will differ from those of a passenger car, so the TruckSIM will retain this niche function for researching systems for - or interactions with, such vehicles. “Distributed Simulation” – joining the UoLDS, Truck SIM and HIKER lab together within the same virtual experiment, will however create new “multi-player” / multi-modal research opportunities that Virtuocity will be uniquely able to help to address.