SimDriver

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SimDriver is an autonomous vehicle control solution that allows for the evaluation of human interaction with automated vehicles in both city and freeway driving environments. SimDriver enhances the understanding of this relationship which will be key to ensuring safe autonomous vehicles.

Simulator Features

A main concern surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles is that it leads to disengaged and unfocused drivers who are unprepared to take control of the vehicle when necessary. SimDriver is designed to help you create scenarios that test a driver’s ability to take manual control of an autonomous vehicle at a moment’s notice.

Design Applications

When the simulation runs, the SimDriver code is loaded, but the vehicle is typically still under manual control. The autonomous driving mode becomes engaged through the cruise control button on the steering wheel or another button of your choice. You can disengage the autonomous mode at any time during the simulation and regain control of the steering wheel and accelerator/brake pedal.

Autonomous Mode

Once autonomous mode is engaged, the vehicle is controlled through the SimDriver JavaScript and the vehicle stops accepting input from the driver. The SimDriver JavaScript allows a range of conditions to be controlled by the SimVista scenario system as part of a complete automated scenario. SimDriver will keep the vehicle on the road and maintain a specified headway distance or desired velocity. More specifically, once engaged, autonomous control will:

Drive the car down the center of the current lane.
Control the lateral position of the car so that the car remains within the lane’s boundaries.
Control the speed of the car up to the user-defined speed limit (if set) or the road’s maximum legal speed limit.
Maintain a configurable headway between the car and the vehicle ahead.
Stop a configurable distance from stationary vehicles and obstacles.
Remain in the current lane at all times, traversing through controlled or uncontrolled intersections as necessary.
If the current lane comes to an end, SimDriver will attempt to merge onto a new lane.

Benefits

Test autonomous vehicle programming before creating costly prototypes.
Evaluate human interaction with autonomous vehicles.
Test algorithms used in the programming of the autonomous vehicle

SimDriver Simulations

Simulations run through SimDriver can offer data that shows why drivers become distracted and provide insight into how to smoothly re-engage the task of driving. SimDriver’s ability to run code through a simulator is a considerably more cost effective and safer alternative than an expensive prototype and provides for more timely evaluations of the algorithms used. SimDriver has been implemented using JavaScript so researchers can modify both parameters and algorithms using their existing skill set with the SimVista scenario system.

Learn more about SimDriver

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The realism you feel from driving in the simulator is not only from the visual systems but also from the feedback that you get from the steering wheel. The vehicle dynamics are modeled very accurately. It really does feel like it is state-of-the-art technology.

Jason Rogers, University of Florida, Computer Applications Coordinator

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