Abstract
(Englisch)
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In the year of reference (2001) the main work performed by EPFL-LIG was to complete the first simulator system and to start the development of the second simulator system. Both systems differ on the complexity of the used Virtual Reality (VR) devices, as it will be explained in the following paragraphs. The third final system will be developed during 2002 and will integrate an exoskeleton force-feedback device operating on the right arm of the driver, achieving a fully immersive virtual simulator system.
According to the system design and continuing the development started during year 2000, the first vehicle simulator was installed for testing in Italy (at FIAT research center (Orbassano)) by September 2001.
EPFL-LIG was responsible to the development of the main system, with emphasis on the graphics output and animation control. The system is based on a series of scripts able to define several scenarios: static ergonomics tests, highway driving and overtaking, parking, engaging crossroads, reaction to sound alarms while driving, etc. In this way, the same application can provide different simulations according to the used configuration script. The vehicle being currently simulated is a FIAT Punto, which 3D model was optimized for real time rendering. Other issues implemented concern the behavior of autonomous cars in some scenarios, the physical model of car motion, the general of a log file fully describing all events during simulation, 3d sound generation, etc. Stereoscopic visualization (using shutter glasses) was also developed, taking into account real time mirrors. Several optimizations were investigated and implemented. In particular, a head tracker is used in order to detect which mirror of the vehicle the driver is looking, so that only one mirror is activated at a time, saving rendering time.
The main novel aspect of the system is that it is connected with fully computer controlled pedals, gear shift and steering wheel devices. These devices can be programmed to have their force-feedback behavior simulating any kind of vehicle. EPFL-LIG also worked on the control of these force-feedback devices. The first simulator was extensively tested in Italy with different people in order to identify how far such a system can be used to replace tests performed with real cars.
The development of the second simulator system started by September 2001. It is now a complex distributed system, based on two PCs, allowing to separate time critical modules into different PCs. This second system uses a head mounted display (HMD) for the visualization, instead of the large back-projected screen used for the first system. In that way, the user cannot see anymore the real world and a virtual representation of the user (its avatar) is used, being controlled by motion trackers placed on the users head and hands.
An important aspect being currently investigated is to see how far the user can drive the car without having any physical devices, thus without any force feedback feelings when touching the virtual steering wheel and gear shift. For this purpose, an initial interaction metaphor has been implemented, which tries to understand the driver's gestures and map them to rotations of the steering wheel, and speed changes. Some first interesting results were obtained, and improvements are currently being carried. The main interest on this approach is the low cost solution to evaluate ergonomics aspects (no need to construct real pieces).
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