The highly immersive driving simulator

Specification of function

Functional description

As automation progresses in the automotive industry, the role of the driver is changing permanently. It must be ensured that driver and machine work together as efficiently, cooperatively and unambiguously as possible. Considerable efforts are being made globally to ensure safe take-over situations between the automated vehicle and the driver and to quantify the safety benefits of assistance systems.

As the human factor is decisive for these investigations and cannot be simulated with sufficient validity, driving simulators are an indispensable and decisive tool. In particular, driving maneuvers in safety-critical driving situations must be simulated in such a way that the driver feels realistically placed in a driving situation. Convincing immersion, i.e. a realistic sensation of acceleration and changes in direction, can only be offered by current driving simulators for a few maneuvers. In order to meet the requirements of future vehicle development, TU Dresden, together with AMST-Systemtechnik GmbH and with financial support from the BMDV, has been implementing the globally unique "Highly immersive driving simulator" project since the beginning of 2019. This driving simulator development enables realistic perception of vehicle behaviour for the first time and is thus revolutionizing the development of automated vehicles.

The concept of a self-driving, tire-based driving simulator theoretically allows an unlimited expansion of the workspace, which in turn results in a significant increase in simulation quality. Following initial application projects from mid-2024, the driving simulator will be located in the Smart Mobility Lab for long-term integration into a modern research infrastructure.

Further information on the highly immersive driving simulator can be found on the Interset page of the Faculty of Transport Sciences.