VIRTUAL

From EuroVR Knowledge Base

Full name
Virtual reality systems for perceived ergonomic quality testing of driving task and design
Acronym
VIRTUAL
Website
Keywords
Ergonomics, Virtual Reality, Driving simulation, Training
Budget
€ 3'975'000.00
Start date
2000/01/01
End date
2002/12/31



Contents

Partners

  • Centro Ricerche FIAT CRF
  • Scuola superiore di studi universitari e di perfezionamento S. Anna PERCRO
  • University of Geneva UNIGE
  • Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL
  • University of Regensburg URE
  • Fraunhofer Institute für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation FhG
  • Loughborough University Lough. HS
  • Institute of Ergonomics, Darmstadt University IAD

Funding Bodies

European Fifth Framework ‘Competitive and Sustainable Growth’ Programme (1998-2002)

Contact

Dr. Silvia Quattrocolo (mailto:silvia.quattrocolo@crf.it)

Objectives

Goal of the Virtual project was to develop and test different kinds of Virtual Reality (VR) driving simulators for the purpose of performing ergonomic evaluations and training of novice drivers. Fill with the objectives.

Main Results

The three different VR simulators developed allow the driver to interact with a simulated car and the surrounding environment during the accomplishment of realistic driving tasks. The systems have been validated by comparing per¬formance of subjects in real cars and in a simulated environment and have been evaluated with respect to acceptance and quality. They have been purposely designed in a way to explore different VR technologies and to test their efficiency with respect to the declared goals of the project: ergonomic analysis and training. They are characterised by an increasing level of immersion in the VE and by differences in the kind of devices and in the degree of feedback (haptic, visual, acoustic) they provide to the user. The first level (Level 1) is a non-immersive VE system. The car's interior, the mirrors and the external road scenarios are displayed on a large screen, which is located in front of the driver, sitting on a car seat. The driver wears shutter glasses for stereo vision. A tracker acquires the point and direction of view, in order to produce the correct images for each eye in real-time. Only a frontal screen is provided; rear view is possible in the mirrors. The primary controls of the car are physical and provide haptic feedback set to be similar to the profile of the controls of the real car which was used during road trials. Loudspeakers provide acoustical feedback to the driver. The second system (Level 2) is a visual immersive VE system. Stereo images of the car’s interior and of the environment are displayed on a Head Mounted Display. Visualisation can be performed in every direction. In addition to the displayed environment the “avatar” of the driver is also displayed, i.e. a graphical representation of the driver’s body moving according to the real physical movement of the driver. The movements of the driver’s arms are acquired by 2 sensorised gloves and by 2 tracker sensors fixed on the wrists of the driver. All the primary controls are physically integrated and generate force feedback. The acoustical feedback is 3D, so the user can experience the localisation of the different acoustic sources. Thanks to a more powerful graphic card, the frame rate is better than in Level 1 (always more than 25 frames per second). The third system is an immersive VE system. Two different visualisation systems can be used: HMD and a CAVE-like system. A haptic interface (exoskeleton) connected to the right arm of the driver acquires user movements and exerts controlled force feedback on the rider's arm. Only the pedals are physically present . This is a very complex mixed reality system, in which three different environments (the real environment, i.e. the mock up with the seat, the virtual graphical environment and the virtual haptic environment) must fit and match perfectly in order to have a realistic feeling of the whole system. Once the simulation is running, the user can drive and change gear using the right hand, receiving a graphical and a force feedback with the exoskeleton. The user is allowed to drive also with the left hand, tracked with a sensor on the wrist, but without force feedback. In order to discriminate if the user actually wants to operate the devices (steering wheel and gearshift) and not just to touch them, the position of the finger (acquired by two data-gloves) is considered: if the hands are closed in a “grasping” position, this means that the user wants to operate the devices and therefore the steering wheel is rotated (giving back a force feedback if this happens using the right hand) or the gear changes. Otherwise the user has just a “touch” feedback, that means that he will feel In order to test the systems, a set of driving tasks was selected which place different loads on ergonomic aspects of the vehicle (e.g., internal and external visibility, operation of the controls). Examples of these tasks are: driving along a country road keeping constant speed, hazard braking manoeuvre, driving along a city street respecting traffic lights, overtaking a car on the motorway, parking between two cars, entering a narrow garage and crossing a busy street. Special care was taken to reproduce the car model which was used for the road trials in VR. The systems developed in the VIRTUAL project were applied in studies for the training of novice drivers and for the development of ergonomic criteria regarding the visibility. These studies are the demonstration that the VIRtual project consisted in the specifications, in the design, in the realisation, in the testing, in the validation and finally in the “usage” of the simulators.

End Users

CRF

Evaluation Methodologies

The driving tasks were performed by 6 groups of subjects selected on age (young: 18-23; middle: 30-50; old > 65 years) and gender (male/female) in a real instrumented vehicle and in the simulator systems Level 1 and 2; in Level 3 a pilot test was performed with 20 subjects not selected for age or gender. A large set of variables was collected in each situation with appropriate methods (data describing driver behaviour e.g. speed, use of primary controls, use of the mirrors; subjective evaluation of ergonomic aspects; subjective evaluation of acceptance; measures of workload). In addition, comfort of the VE equipment, problems with simulator sickness and perceived quality of the simulation were assessed, since acceptance and tolerability of the systems are limiting factors for practical use. Thus a lot of useful information was gathered regarding the perceived acceptance of the systems, the degree of involvement, presence and immersion they provide, the performance of the test subjects, and the possibility to obtain coherent ergonomics evaluations. The direction of the possible improvements was each time specified.


Publications

  • M. Angerilli, A. Frisoli, F. Salsedo, S. Marcheschi, M. Bergamasco, "Haptic simulation of an automotive manual gearshift", Proceedings of Roman2001, International Workshop on Robot-Human Communication. September 18-21 2001, Bordeaux-Paris, France.
  • Frisoli A, Avizzano CA, Bergamasco M, Data S, Santi C, "Dynamic modeling of primary commands for a car simulator", IEEE 2001 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM '01) 8-12 July 2001 Como, Italy.
  • Ferrazzin D, Frisoli A, Avizzano CA, Bergamasco M, "Model Identification and Simulation of a Manual Gearshift with a 2DOF Force-feedback Joystick", IASTED International Conference on Model Identification Control MIC2001, February 19-22 2001, Insbruck- Austria.
  • Frisoli A, Avizzano CA, Bergamasco M, "Simulation of a manual gearshift with a 2 DOF force-feedback joystick", IEEE ICRA2001 International Conference of Robotics & Automation, Seoul, Corea, May 21-26 2001.
  • N. G. Ullrich, P. Villella, F. Salsedo, M. Bergamasco, “A Data (Sensorized) Suit and Data (Sensorized) Glove for Ergonomic Analysis”, abstract sumbitted to International Ergonomics Conference (Munich, May 7-9 2003)
  • N. G. Ullrich, F. Salsedo, M. Bergamasco, C. Ruspa, S.Quattrocolo, “A Virtual Reality Driving Simulator for Ergonomic Assessments”, abstract submitted to the International Ergonomics Conference (Munich, May 7-9 2003)
  • Krauss, M., Scheuchenpflug, R., Piechulla, W. & Zimmer, A. (2001). Measurement of presence in virtual environments. In A. Zimmer, K. Lange, K.-H. Bäuml, R. Loose, R. Scheuchenpflug, O. Tucha, H.Schnell & R. Findl (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Psychologie. Abstracts der 43.Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen. Universität Regensburg, 9.-11.4.2001 (S. 85). Lengerich: Pabst.
  • Krauss, M., Scheuchenpflug, R., Piechulla, W. & Zimmer, A. (2001). Measurement of presence in virtual environments. In A. Zimmer, K. Lange, K.-H. Bäuml, R. Scheuchenpflug, R. Loose, O. Tucha, R. Findl & C. Schneider (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Psychologie im Spannungsfeld von Grundlagenforschung und Anwendung - Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP 2001) [CD-ROM] (S. 358-362). Regensburg: Universitätsbibliothek.
  • Scheuchenpflug, R. (2001). Measuring presence in virtual environments. In M.J. Smith, G. Salvendy, & M.R. Kasdorf (Eds.), HCI International 2001. Poster sessions: Abridged proceedings (pp. 56-58). New Orleans: HCI.
  • Scheuchenpflug, R., Quattrocolo, S. & Ruspa, C. (2002). Messung der wahrgenommenen Qualität von Fahrsimulationen. In M. Baumann, A.. Keinath & J. Krems (Hrsg.), Experimentelle Psychologie. Abstracts der 44 Tagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (S. 33). Regensburg: Roderer.
  • Ruspa, C., Scheuchenpflug, R. & Quattrocolo, S. (2002). Ergonomic assessment in virtual reality driving simulators. Proceedings of the DSC2002, Paris, France, September 11-13, 2002 (pp. 319-328). Paris: INRETS-RENAULT.
  • Dymott, R., Harke, S., Scheuchenpflug, R., Ruspa, C., & Quattrocolo, S. (in press). Older drivers in virtual reality assessments of vehicle ergonomics. In D. de Waard, K.A. Brookhuis, S.M. Breker, and W.B. Verwey, Human Factors in the Age of Virtual Reality. Maastricht, the Netherlands: Shaker Publishing.
  • Ruspa, C., Scheuchenpflug, R. & Quattrocolo, S. (in press). Validity of virtual reality driving simulators for ergonomic assessment. In D. de Waard, K.A. Brookhuis, S.M. Breker, and W.B. Verwey, Human Factors in the Age of Virtual Reality. Maastricht, the Netherlands: Shaker Publishing.
  • Scheuchenpflug, R., Ruspa, C. & Quattrocolo, S. (in press). Presence in virtual driving simulators. In D. de Waard, K.A. Brookhuis, S.M. Breker, and W.B. Verwey, Human Factors in the Age of Virtual Reality. Maastricht, the Netherlands: Shaker Publishing.
  • Williams, M. and Wakula, J.: Analysis of driver behaviour by the mean of Observer – Videosystem, abstrcatd submitted to the International Ergonomics Conference (Munich, May 7-9 2003)
  • Kallmann, M., Lemoine, P., Thalmann, D., Cordier, F., Magnenat-Thalmann, N., Ruspa, C., Quattrocolo, S., “Immersive vehicle Simulators for Prototyping, Training and Ergonomics” article to be presented in Computer Graphics International CGI-03 Japan

Application & Research Areas

Studying and improving the ergonomic design of the vehicles, in the process of making the driving tasks simpler and more comfortable and then of increasing safety.


Technical Areas

VR based vehicle and driving simulation System integration Haptics for driving controls

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