New simulators for driver training
With partners from research institutes, technology businesses and road safety authorities from across Europe, the ′Integrated system for driver training and assessment using interactive education tools and new training curricula for all modes of road transport′ (TRAIN-ALL) project developed new computer-based training software and prototypes for different vehicle simulators. For motorcycles and trucks, the project team built on existing simulator concepts, whilst three new prototypes were made for passenger-car drivers. Software that was developed for the latter included driving simulation, virtual instruction, ADAS/IVICS simulation and enhanced reality. Three simulators were developed for the training of police emergency drivers. These incorporated a number of different situations and training needs, including co-driving, group training, dynamic scenario management and adaptive training. The last prototype the researchers developed was a multi-purpose driving simulator. This should help to reduce driving schools’ operation costs by giving them a tool that is adaptable to the needs of different groups of users. This simulator is based on a scaled-up version of the car simulator which can be adapted to different scenarios without the introduction of any major technical changes. The main benefit of this is that the price of this system should also be lower than alternatives. The team performed a technical verification of the new simulator modules to ensure that they performed as planned. They concluded that technical verification of individual simulator systems as a whole can be done through a self-certification process. The partners believe that the innovations started during the 38-month project will enable significant improvements to road safety, reductions in traffic volume, training time and costs. An additional benefit will be to provide a lower-stress learning experience – for both trainers and trainees alike.
