Transportation cyber-physical systems (TCPSs) require simulation-based testing and evaluation due to the prohibitive cost of building realistic test beds. Given the transdisciplinary nature of TCPSs, ...various simulation models and frameworks have been proposed in civil engineering, computer science, and related fields. Traditionally, researchers in different areas have developed their own set of simulation tools, which provide limited capability for TCPS research. In recent years, we have witnessed a growing interest of combining two or more features of traditional simulators to capture the unique characteristics of TCPSs. In this paper, we describe several mainstream simulation models used in transportation, communication, and human-factor studies in TCPS research. Moreover, we present our unique design and implementation of an integrated traffic-driving-network simulator (ITDNS). Finally, we discuss future enhancements that will promote best simulation practices for TCPS research.
The number of patients with pancreatobiliary disease is increasing along with the aging population, and we often encounter patients requiring emergency bile duct drainage, such as those with acute ...cholangitis. In some cases, bile duct intubation cannot be performed despite the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) , eventually leading to post-ERCP pancreatitis. Not all patients can be transferred to a high-level healthcare institution ; therefore, educational institutions should establish a method for teaching pancreatobiliary endoscopy (related to ERCP and endoscopic ultrasonography) so that it can be performed safely by appropriate staff in, to some extent, any place. However, advisory doctors are present in only a few educational institutions. The pancreatobiliary endoscopy educational method followed at our institution includes : 1) enabling physicians to experience work as an ERCP assistant and operator as frequently as possible ; 2) facilitating the understanding of diagnosis and treatment of pancreatobiliary disease through inpatients ; 3) developing image diagnostic skills by describing ECRP findings ; 4) educating through mini lectures ; and 5) educating using a simulator.
There is an expansion of nuclear power plant control room simulator use beyond traditional operator training. Modern simulator designs require more robust capabilities to serve the diverse needs of ...multiple user groups including researchers and educators. A common framework for evaluating simulator features to support training, research, and education is critical to ensure future simulators enable research for immediate and future plant modernization and advanced reactor deployment needs. An initial framework comprised of 8 feature categories was developed by reviewing published simulator-based research and analyzing simulator features against research objectives and results. Future research will focus on evaluating the suitability of this framework in characterizing and differentiating simulators across training, research, and education use cases.
There is a wide range of different driving simulator systems, which vary greatly in terms of cost as well as system characteristics. Higher fidelity simulators are often assumed to produce more valid ...results. While there are many studies that have compared simulator driving to real-world driving, to date there has been no large study comparing different simulator systems to each other and to real-world driving. Aiming at closing this gap, the present research offers an extensive comparison of six different driving simulators with the results of a previous real-world study.
In terms of absolute validity, most of the simulators provided good results for distance to a vehicle in front and standard deviation of the lateral position, whereas the results for driving speed were inconsistent. Simulator fidelity appears to positively affect distance perception, although differences between higher fidelity simulators were generally small, and no real-world comparison data were available here. With respect to simulator sickness, a clear advantage of using a high fidelity simulator was found, while the effect size depended on the use case. In summary, the results suggest that different simulators are suitable for different use cases to different degrees, and the differences between simulators are not always related to higher simulator fidelity. The presented study can serve as a basis for understanding simulator requirements associated with different use cases.
•Comparative validation study with N = 267 subjects.•Six driving simulators and five scenarios, including real-world comparison data.•Less simulator sickness in high-fidelity driving simulators.•No clear relationship of simulator fidelity and valid driving behavior.
•There is little evidence supporting driving simulator validity despite frequent use.•This review included 44 studies directly comparing simulator and real-world driving.•Simulators in around half of ...the studies achieved absolute or relative validity.•The relationship between fidelity and validity is not straightforward.•The reporting of driving simulator studies requires improvement.
Driving simulators are a common tool for researching driver behaviour, providing practical, safe, and controlled environments. Despite their frequent use in research, there is relatively little evidence confirming their validity (i.e., how accurately they represent or reproduce real-world driving). Moreover, there is inconsistency in both the types of simulators used, and the operationalisation of “real-world” driving in validations. This systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the evidence regarding driving simulator accuracy when compared with real-world driving. The review included 44 studies reporting a direct comparison between simulated driving and on-road driving in a vehicle. Measures reported for comparison varied but included mean speed, speed variability, lateral position, overall driving performance, and number of driving errors. Simulators in approximately half of the studies achieved absolute or relative validity, whereas one third produced non-valid results. To understand this further, the fidelity of simulators was considered, however this further clouded our understanding as the relationship between simulator fidelity and validity was not straightforward. The findings suggest that the reporting of driving simulator studies requires improvement, particularly around the validation evidence associated with the simulator, the specific details of the simulated driving environment, and the outputs of statistical analyses. Guidelines are proposed for future research to ensure consistency in the conduct, and reporting, of simulator-based research.
Small-scale portable rainfall simulators are an essential research tool for investigating the process dynamics of soil erosion and surface hydrology. There is no standardisation of rainfall ...simulation and such rainfall simulators differ in design, rainfall intensities, rain spectra and research questions, which impede drawing a meaningful comparison between results. Nevertheless, these data become progressively important for soil erosion assessment and therefore, the basis for decision-makers in application-oriented erosion protection.
The artificially generated rainfall of the simulators used at the Universities Basel, La Rioja, Malaga, Trier, Tübingen, Valencia, Wageningen, Zaragoza, and at different CSIC (Spanish Scientific Research Council) institutes (Almeria, Cordoba, Granada, Murcia and Zaragoza) was measured with the same methods (Laser Precipitation Monitor for drop spectra and rain collectors for spatial distribution). Data are very beneficial for improvements of simulators and comparison of simulators and results. Furthermore, they can be used for comparative studies, e.g. with measured natural rainfall spectra. A broad range of rainfall data was measured (e.g. intensity: 37–360mmh−1; Christiansen Coefficient for spatial rainfall distribution: 61–98%; median volumetric drop diameter: 0.375–6.5mm; mean kinetic energy expenditure: 25–1322Jm−2h−1; mean kinetic energy per unit area and unit depth of rainfall: 0.77–50Jm−2mm−1). Similarities among the simulators could be found e.g. concerning drop size distributions (maximum drop numbers are reached within the smallest drop classes <1mm) and low fall velocities of bigger drops due to a general physical restriction. The comparison represents a good data-base for improvements and provides a consistent picture of the different parameters of the simulators that were tested.
•Small portable rainfall simulators in soil erosion and soil hydrology studies•Detailed investigation of simulated rainfall characteristics•Comparison of artificial rainfall generated by 13 rainfall simulators based in Europe•Identical methods in all simulations to ensure comparability•Methods: Laser Precipitation Monitor and rain collectors
Virtual Reality (VR) based training simulators are successfully employed in many industries (e.g., aviation) to help train operators and professionals in a safe environment. The construction industry ...has also started to use this technology in recent years for training operators of heavy equipment. However, the context presented in the available training simulators is unrealistic because in many instances the training takes place in static sites where there is no mobility in the site. To realistically introduce the context of construction sites into VR scenes sensory data from actual projects can be used. However, currently, there is no systematic insight into (1) the dimensions of context that need to be present in a training simulator, (2) the types of data required to represent various dimensions of the context, and (3) methods for converting context data into a coherent context-realistic training scene that enables bidirectional feedback between trainees and the VR scene. Therefore, this research aims to develop a novel framework to generate coherent context-realistic training simulators from data collected from actual construction projects to enhance construction training simulators. The proposed framework provides a step-wise guideline into (a) collection of appropriate data for context-realistic simulators, (b) development of agents and simulation physics from actual site data and their integration into a scene, (c) scene-trainee interactions in context-realistic scenes, and (d) context-based assessment of the trainees' performance from safety, productivity, and quality perspectives. A prototype is developed and a case study is conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed framework. A workshop with expert training instructors is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework for improving simulator-based training. It is shown that compared to the existing simulators, the context-realistic training simulators can significantly improve various aspects of operator training, especially safety and teamwork. The research provided an insight into the future of construction training simulator by indicating the importance and relevance of (1) collecting appropriate data, and (2) developing robust data-to-agent and data-to-physics methods.
•A framework for the context-realistic construction equipment training simulator is presented.•The framework integrates site layout data, mobility data, data-driven physics, and agent-based simulation.•Context-realistic simulators are shown to be promising for improving safety and teamwork of operator training.
•A framework consisting of driving-, traffic-, and network-simulators are proposed.•Potential usages of the framework for testing and evaluation of C-ITS applications.•Capability to study issues ...related to human drivers in the context of C-ITS.
Connected and automated driving in the context of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) is an emerging area in transport systems research. Interaction and cooperation between actors in transport systems are now enabled by the connectivity by means of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communication. To ensure the goals of C-ITS, which are safer and more efficient transport systems, testing and evaluation are required before deployment of C-ITS applications. Therefore, this paper presents a simulation framework—consisting of driving-, traffic-, and network-simulators—for testing and evaluation of C-ITS applications. Examples of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) applications are presented, and are used as test cases for the simulation framework as well as to elaborate on potential use cases of it. Challenges from combining the simulators into one framework, and limitations are reported and discussed. Finally, the paper concludes with future development directions, and applications of the simulation framework in testing and evaluation of C-ITS.
•Lateral specific force scaling has a time-varying effect during curve driving simulation.•The lateral specific force can be scaled down further during the curve onset than during the remainder of ...the curve.•The lateral specific force can be scaled down by 30% during a curve’s sustained part.•The lateral specific force can be scaled up by at least 30% during a curve’s sustained part.
In motion simulation, motion input scaling is often applied to deal with the limited motion envelopes of motion simulators. In this research, the time-varying effects of scaling the lateral specific force up or down during passive curve driving in a car driving simulation are investigated through a simulator experiment. It is concluded that lateral specific force scaling has a time-varying effect on the perceived fidelity of a curve-driving simulation. In particular, motion scaling during a curve entry is found to be less detrimental than motion scaling during a curve’s sustained part and during the curve exit.
•Individual simulator training can be a supplement to traditional training practices.•Proper learning strategies should be the basis of individual simulator training.•Real-time feedback and ...assessment are the main requirements of individual training.•Individual training technologies can support individual simulator training.•Individual simulator training should include an embedded intelligent tutoring system.
The aim of simulator training is to improve the safety and integrity of operations. Effective simulator training involves relevant feedback and sound assessment of the operator’s performance. Operators need proper feedback to be able to identify and fill gaps in their competency or learn new practices. Appropriate feedback and assessment are of great importance to ensure that process operators have the competences required to ensure smooth and safe plant operation. Consequently, delivering effective training and evaluation represents a very significant challenge for the process industry. Further, the availability of on-site simulator training is often very limited and the costs related to it are high. Therefore, individual simulator training, in addition to team training, can be a practical option to be considered. This article presents a thematic analysis of simulator training practices in different industries. The findings suggest that individual training can be implemented as a supplement to on-site training, that effective feedback and assessment are necessary, and that the training should be based on a human-centric perspective.
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