In this paper, driving skill is characterised by a comprehensive driver model embracing various aspects of a driver's sensory-motor and decision-making abilities. A Driving Simulator (DS) test with variety of manoeuvres was used with test subjects of different driving skills levels for model development. Analysis and modelling of the test data reveals strong correlations among certain key parameters in the comprehensive model and the recognised skill level of the test subjects. Parameter identification and optimisation using iSight utility on these parameters were used to characterise driving skill level, and VehSim simulation was used for model validation.

This paper describes some results obtained from analytical three-dimensional motion simulations of child and adult pedestrians impacted by an automobile. The baseline geometric and stiffness parameters used in this simulation correspond to a typical mid-size vehicle, the latter being measured by a dynamic impactor developed for this study. The effects of variation of several of the vehicle's front-end design parameters on the impact severities of a 50th-percentile male adult and a 6-year-old child pedestrian are studied using experimental design techniques. Both the main effects and the first-order interactions among the parameters are investigated, and it is shown that the counter-measure suggested for reducing adult pedestrians' injuries could aggravate child pedestrians' injuries Language: en

Four different motion base configurations were studied on driving simulator. Differently responding vehicles were simulated on each motion configurations and the effects of the vehicle characteristics on driver vehicle system performance, driver control activity, and driver opinion ratings of vehicle performance during driving are compared for different motion configurations. Data show that: (1)) the effects of changes in vehicle characteristics on the different objective and subjective measures of driver vehicle performance are not disguised by the lack of physical motion; (2) fixed base simulator can be used to draw inferences despite the lack of motion; (3) the presence of motion tends to reduce path keeping errors and driver control activity; (4) roll and yaw motions are recommended because of their marked influence on driver vehicle performance (5) the importance of motion increases as the driving maneuvers become more extreme.

The GMR Driving Simulator was used to study the performance of four teen-aged, novice drivers, two of whom had cerebral palsy. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the potential of the simulator to discriminate between the driving abilities of medically handicapped and non-handicapped individuals. The study concentrated on the psychomotor aspects of lane-keeping performance in the presence of road curvature and environmental disturbances. The study indicates that a dynamically realistic driving simulator could be a valuable screening device for indentifying potential performance difficulties in handicapped individuals prior to behind-the-wheel instruction.

Simulator characteristics were matched to those of the full-scale vehicle with respect to steering torque gradient, control sensitivity, and lateral acceleration response time; identical disturbance signals were applied to each facility. The influence of torque gradient was accentuated in the Simulator and at low levels of control sensitivity, with high levels of torque gradient producing smaller steering wheel and vehicle motion deviations. The effect of control sensitivity on steering wheel deviations was accentuated under actual driving conditions and for slower response times. A greater improvement in lateral position deviations with increased control sensitivity was noted for the slow response time configurations. Even though there were statistically significant interactions involving simulated versus actual driving conditions, examination of the data indicates that the performance trends are essentially the same in both facilities.

The effects of changes in understeer, control sensitivity, and location of the lateral aerodynamic center of pressure (c.p.) of a typical passenger car on the driver's opinion and on the performance of the driver-vehicle system were studied in a moving-base driving simulator. Twelve subjects with no prior experience on the simulator and no special driving skills performed regulation tasks in the presence of both random and step wind gusts.

The influence of vehicle transient response characteristics on driver-vehicle performance in discrete maneuvers as measured by integral performance criteria was investigated. A group of eight ordinary drivers was presented with a series of eight vehicle transfer function configurations in a driving simulator. Performance in two discrete maneuvers was analyzed by means of integral performance criteria. Results are presented.

Control theory, including manual control theory, and a review of some previous physiological and neurological applications of control theory and associated engineering concepts are reported. The discussion includes a specially tailored battery of critical control tasks that are being developed to monitor astronaut performance in long term orbital flight. The application of these concepts and tasks to patients with various neurological disorders is considered.