Skip to main content

TRL's DigiCar driving simulator becomes fully automated

As the path to acceptance of automated vehicles on the UK’s roads moves forward, so does TRL’s role in developing robust research tools to provide the necessary evidence as to the human response to automation and its general acceptance by the driving population. Behind the scenes, TRL experts have been working on developing the software required to enable the transition of DigiCar to run as an automated vehicle as and when required. As a result, TRL’s full mission driving simulator, DigiCar, has devel
November 18, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
As the path to acceptance of automated vehicles on the UK’s roads moves forward, so does 491 TRL’s role in developing robust research tools to provide the necessary evidence as to the human response to automation and its general acceptance by the driving population.

Behind the scenes, TRL experts have been working on developing the software required to enable the transition of DigiCar to run as an automated vehicle as and when required.

As a result, TRL’s full mission driving simulator, DigiCar, has developed into a partially or fully automated vehicle.

DigiCar provides the transport sector with a sophisticated research tool to understand driver behaviours and reactions to environments both within the vehicle itself and outside. Offering a totally safe driving experience, DigiCar provides a platform for repeatable testing, gathering accurate data for analysis and dissemination, enabling Governments, manufacturers and others to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of vehicle automation.

Dr Nick Reed, Principal Human Factors researcher at TRL and vehicle automation expert said:  “We are delighted to have completed this development using a flexible web-based platform to enable partial or full automation of DigiCar. This opens the potential for a range of studies to investigate how automation of the driving task will affect driver behaviour and how transitions between vehicle automation modes are understood by drivers.

Related Content

  • September 23, 2014
    Does ADAS create as many problems as it solves
    Victoria Banks and Neville Stanton [1] of Southampton University’s Transportation Research Group examine the real impact of creeping driver automation. Safety research suggests that 90% of accidents are thought to be a result of driver inattentiveness to unpredictable or incomplete information and the vision is that highly automated vehicles will lead to accident-free driving in the future.
  • August 29, 2019
    Don’t drive drunk – or use a hands-free phone
    Despite law changes, drivers’ bad habits have been creeping back in. TRL’s Dr Shaun Helman tells Adam Hill why using a phone at the wheel is just as distracting as driving after a few drinks esearch from as far back as 2002 (see box) suggests that driving while making a phone call – either hands-free or holding a handset to your ear – creates the same amount of distraction as being drunk behind the wheel. While it is notoriously hard to predict how alcohol will affect an individual (due to the speed of
  • April 20, 2017
    Increased automation is already improving road safety
    Richard Cuerden considers how many of the technologies developed as part of a move toward autonomous vehicles are already being deployed as ADAS improve road safety. The drive to create autonomous vehicles has caused a re-evaluation of what is needed to safely navigate today’s roads and the development of systems that can replace the driver in many scenarios. However, many manufacturers are not waiting for ‘tomorrow’ and are already incorporating these systems in their new cars as Advanced Driver Assistanc
  • December 8, 2014
    Sensor solutions cuts maintenance and emissions
    The new raft of sensor technology can provide cost savings as well as additional functionality, as David Crawford discovers. Austria’s third-largest city, Linz, with a population of around 200,000, is recording substantial savings in its urban tram network within 18 months of introducing a new, high-technology approach to its public transport management. Tram, bus and trolleybus operator Linz Linien forms part of city utilities management company Linz AG, which has been carrying out a wide-ranging Smart Cit