JP2010122500A - Driving simulator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To create images which give the impression to a driver so that the driver is viewing an actual scene as it is, and to suppress the driver's sickness (simulator sickness) resulting from viewing the images. <P>SOLUTION: In a driving simulator, when a simulation scene image 110 is displayed together with sickness suppressing images 112, 116, 118 on a screen 28, the sickness suppressing images 112, 116, 118 are displayed in such a manner as moving reversely to the movement of the simulation scene image 110 corresponding to the driver's operation of a controller. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving simulator that allows a driver to perform a simulated experience when driving a vehicle.

  Conventionally, for the purpose of driving skill training and the like, a driving simulator that allows a driver (subject) to perform a simulated experience when driving a vehicle has been used (see Patent Document 1). In this driving simulator, an image corresponding to the driver's field of view at the time of driving the vehicle is displayed on the image display means, and the image displayed on the image display means changes as the driver operates the operator. Let the driver perform a simulated experience when driving the vehicle.

  Further, Patent Document 2 proposes generating an image that gives the driver the impression of viewing an actual scene as it is and displaying it on the image display means.

JP 2002-31806 A JP 2008-171040 A

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 2, when the appearance of the image from the driver cannot be completely matched with the actual scene, the driver is caused by the difference between the actual scene and the image. There is a risk of getting drunk while driving.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and generates an image that gives the driver the impression of seeing an actual scene as it is, and the driver caused by viewing the image. An object of the present invention is to provide a driving simulator capable of suppressing the sickness of a person (hereinafter also referred to as simulator sickness).

The driving simulator according to the present invention is:
Image display means for displaying an image corresponding to the driver's field of view when driving the vehicle, at least one operator operated by the driver and changing the image in accordance with the operation, and an actual scene A simulated scene image generating means for generating a simulated scene image; and a sickness suppression image generating means for generating a sickness suppression image for suppressing the simulator sickness of the driver,
When the image display means displays both the simulated scene image and the sickness suppression image, the image display means moves in a manner opposite to the movement of the simulated scene image accompanying the operation of the operator by the driver. The sickness suppression image is displayed.

  According to this configuration, when the driver operates the operation element while viewing the image displayed on the image display unit, the sickness suppression image moves in the opposite direction with respect to the simulated scene image. Therefore, it is possible to give the driver an impression as if the simulated scene image is an image of an actual scene as it is, and the driver's sickness is caused by the movement of the sickness suppression image. The feeling for the feeling is lost, distracted, and simulator sickness can be suppressed.

  The driving simulator further includes a pseudo vehicle speed output unit that outputs a pseudo vehicle speed according to the operation of the operator by the driver, and the image display unit is configured to output the simulated scene according to the vehicle speed. The moving speed of the image and the sickness suppression image may be changed. Thereby, the simulator sickness can be effectively suppressed.

  Further, the image display means may display the sickness suppression image even when the simulated scene image does not move. Accordingly, the sickness suppression image can be displayed when the vehicle is stopped or before the start of driving (before the start of driving), so that the driver's feeling can be used.

  According to the present invention, when the driver operates the operating element while viewing the image displayed on the image display means, the sickness suppression image moves in the opposite direction to the simulated scene image. It becomes possible to give the driver the impression that the scene image is an image as if the actual scene was seen as it is, and the driver's sense of sickness is reduced by the movement of the sickness suppression image, Distracted and can suppress simulator sickness.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving simulator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The driving simulator 10 includes a cabin 14 provided with a cockpit 12 in which a driver as a subject or a driver gets in, and a swing base 16 constituting the bottom of the cabin 14 with six actuators 20 (3 in FIG. 1). Only the book is shown), and has a base 18, a control device 80, and an external display monitor 92.

  One end side of the actuator 20 is connected to the base 18 via the universal joint 24, while the other end side of the actuator 20 is connected to the swing base 16 via the universal joint 22. In this case, the cabin 14 including the swing table 16 can be swung by individually controlling the expansion and contraction of the six actuators 20.

  In the cabin 14, a video projection device 26 that projects a video (image) and a screen 28 on which the video projected from the video projection device 26 is projected are attached at predetermined positions. In this case, the video projector 26 and the screen 28 constitute image display means. In the vicinity of the screen 28, a room mirror 30 comprising a liquid crystal monitor for displaying an image is provided.

  In the cabin 14, an instrument panel 32 is disposed below the screen 28. On the other hand, a seat 34 on which a driver is seated is disposed opposite the screen 28 and the instrument panel 32. Further, in the cabin 14, a steering wheel 36, an accelerator pedal 38, a brake pedal 40, a clutch pedal 42, a manual transmission shift lever 44, a side brake 46, and both side mirrors 48 are located at predetermined positions corresponding to an actual vehicle. Each is attached.

  Here, the instrument panel 32 is provided with a shift lever 50 for an automatic transmission, and a speaker 52 that generates sound toward the driver sitting on the seat 34. Both side mirrors 48 are each composed of a liquid crystal monitor that performs predetermined video display.

  Below the cabin 14 are an input detection device 54 for the steering wheel 36, an input detection device 56 for the accelerator pedal 38, an input detection device 58 for the brake pedal 40, an input detection device 60 for the clutch pedal 42, and a shift lever 44 for manual transmission. The input detection device 62 of the automatic transmission and the input detection device 64 of the automatic transmission shift lever 50 are respectively attached at predetermined positions.

  In the seat surface portion 72 and the backrest portion 68 of the seat 34, a vibration plate 70 that applies vibration to a seated driver is embedded. These diaphragms 70 directly apply vibration to the driver seated on the seat 34.

  The clutch pedal 42 is foldable due to the driving of the motor 66 based on a switch operation by the driver, etc., and is folded during a simulated operation assuming an automatic transmission, while being simulated during a simulated operation assuming a manual transmission. Appears at an operable position.

  The control device 80 includes a main video generation device 82, a room side video generation device 84, a sound generation device 86, a drive system servo amplifier device 90, and a main computer 88 for controlling them, and the main computer 88 has an external display. A monitor 92 is connected.

  The main computer 88 has a simulated vehicle speed calculation means (simulated vehicle speed output means) 100. When the driver performs a simulated experience during driving of the vehicle, the input detection devices 54, 56, 58, etc. are operated by the operation of the respective operators such as the steering wheel 36, the accelerator pedal 38, and the brake pedal 40 by the driver. When the operation input of each operator is input from the main computer 88 to the main computer 88, the simulated vehicle speed calculation means 100 simulates according to the operation of each operator by the driver according to the control program executed in the main computer 88. The target (pseudo) vehicle speed (simulated vehicle speed) is calculated.

  The main video generator 82 generates a video signal corresponding to the field of view of the driver when driving the vehicle according to a control program executed in the main computer 88 and outputs the video signal to the video projector 26. By projecting a video (image) corresponding to the signal onto the screen 28, the video is displayed on the screen 28.

  Specifically, the main video generation device 82 includes a simulated scene image generation unit 96 and a sickness suppression image generation unit 98.

  The simulated scene image generation means 96 generates a simulated scene image that simulates an actual scene. As described above, the simulated vehicle speed calculating unit 100 calculates the simulated vehicle speed according to the operation of the operator by the driver, so the simulated scene image generating unit 96 generates the simulated scene image that moves according to the simulated vehicle speed. Generate. On the other hand, the sickness suppression image generation means 98 generates a sickness suppression image for suppressing the driver's simulator sickness when driving the vehicle. In this case, the sickness suppression image generating means 98 generates a sickness suppression image that moves according to the simulated vehicle speed and reverses the motion of the simulated scene image.

  Therefore, the main video generation device 82 superimposes the sickness suppression image generated by the sickness suppression image generation unit 98 on the simulated scene image generated by the simulated scene image generation unit 96, and generates an image after superimposition as a video signal. Therefore, the video projected from the video projection device 26 onto the screen 28 is a video in which the sickness suppression image is superimposed on the simulated scene image.

  The room side video generator 84 generates video signals corresponding to the images of the room mirror 30 and both side mirrors 48 when the vehicle is driven in accordance with a control program executed by the main computer 88, and the room mirror 30 and both side mirrors. Images corresponding to the video signals are displayed on the 48 liquid crystal monitors.

  The sound generator 86 generates an acoustic signal corresponding to the sound received by the driver when the vehicle is driven according to the control program executed in the main computer 88, and drives the speaker 52 with this acoustic signal to bring the sound into the atmosphere. generate. The sound generator 86 supplies an acoustic signal to the diaphragm 70 via the low-pass filter 94, and drives the diaphragm 70 with a low frequency component of the acoustic signal.

  The drive system servo amplifier device 90 controls the expansion and contraction of each actuator 20 according to a control program executed in the main computer 88.

  Although the driving simulator 10 is configured as described above, the basic operation thereof is substantially the same as that of the driving simulator disclosed in Patent Document 1, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, characteristic functions and effects of the driving simulator 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2C.

  FIGS. 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams showing images that can be seen by the driver when the driver sits on the seat 34 and looks at the screen 28. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the driver sees the video displayed on the room mirror 30 and the video displayed on both side mirrors 48 in addition to the video projected on the screen 28. Can do.

  Here, the simulated scene image 110 is displayed (projected) on the screen 28 and is superimposed on the simulated scene image 110 so that the sickness suppression images 112, 116, 116 are displayed in a predetermined region (the center part of the screen 28) 114. 118 is displayed (projected). 2A illustrates a case where a linear sickness suppression image 112 is displayed, FIG. 2B illustrates a case where a sickness suppression image 116 formed of a dot-sequence pattern is displayed, and FIG. The case where the sickness suppression image 118 which consists of patterns of mimics, such as a fallen leaf, is displayed is shown in figure.

  That is, when the driver operates the controls such as the steering wheel 36, the accelerator pedal 38, and the brake pedal 40, the simulated vehicle speed calculation means 100 calculates the simulated vehicle speed according to the operation of the controls, and the simulated scene image generation means. 96 generates a simulated scene image 110 that moves in accordance with the simulated vehicle speed, and the sickness suppression image generation means 98 performs motion sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 that move in the opposite direction to the motion of the simulated scene image 110. Is generated.

  Therefore, in the case where the driver performs a simulated experience in which the vehicle travels at the simulated vehicle speed, when the driver looks at the screen 28, the driver looks from the front toward the driver (from the screen 28 in FIG. 1 toward the seat 70). 2) The simulated scene image 110 appears to be approaching, and the sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 from the driver toward the front (from the seat 70 in FIG. 1 toward the screen 28) are shown in FIG. 2A. ~ It seems to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2C.

  As a result, when the driver is operating the operator while watching the video displayed on the screen 28, the sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 move in reverse to the simulated scene image 110. It is possible to give the driver the impression that the simulated scene image 110 is an image as if the actual scene was seen as it is, and the driver's sense of sickness by the movement of the sickness suppression images 112, 116, 118. It becomes distracting, distracting, and simulator sickness can be suppressed.

  Moreover, simulator sickness can be effectively suppressed by changing the moving speed of the simulated scene image 110 and the sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 according to the simulated vehicle speed.

  Further, in this embodiment, the sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 may be displayed even when the simulated scene image 110 does not move. As a result, it is possible to display the sickness suppression images 112, 116, and 118 when the vehicle is stopped or before the start of driving (before the start of driving), so that the driver's feeling can be used.

  Furthermore, in the above description, the linear motion sickness suppression image 112, the motion sickness suppression image 116 composed of a sequence of dots, and the motion sickness suppression image 118 composed of a pattern of an imitation such as a fallen leaf have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these images. That is, as long as the sickness suppression image is an image that moves in the opposite direction with respect to the simulated scene image 110, it is a matter of course that the above-described effects can be easily obtained regardless of the shape of the image.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various configurations can be adopted based on the description in the specification and the drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving simulator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams showing images that are seen in the direction of the screen when the driver is seated on the seat.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Driving simulator 26 ... Video projector 28 ... Screen 36 ... Steering wheel 38 ... Accelerator pedal 40 ... Brake pedal 42 ... Clutch pedal 82 ... Main video generator 96 ... Simulated scene image generation means 98 ... Sickness suppression image generation means 100 ... Simulated vehicle speed calculation means 110 ... Simulated scene images 112, 116, 118 ... Sickness suppression image 114 ... Area

Claims (3)

Image display means for displaying an image corresponding to the driver's field of view when driving the vehicle;
At least one operator that is operated by the driver and changes the image in accordance with the operation;
A simulated scene image generating means for generating a simulated scene image simulating an actual scene;
A sickness suppression image generating means for generating a sickness suppression image for suppressing the driver's simulator sickness;
Have
When the image display means displays both the simulated scene image and the sickness suppression image, the image display means moves in a manner opposite to the movement of the simulated scene image accompanying the operation of the operator by the driver. A driving simulator that displays the sickness suppression image. The driving simulator according to claim 1,
A pseudo vehicle speed output means for outputting a pseudo vehicle speed according to the operation of the operator by the driver;
The image display means changes the moving speed of the simulated scene image and the sickness suppression image according to the vehicle speed. In the driving simulator according to claim 1 or 2,
The driving simulator characterized in that the image display means displays the sickness suppression image even when the simulated scene image does not move.

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