Civil Engineering Department, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA.
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Missouri University of Science Technology, Rolla, MO, USA.
J Safety Res. 2014 Jun;49:53-60. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2014.02.012. Epub 2014 Apr 24.
This study is aimed at validating a driving simulator (DS) for the study of driver behavior in work zones. A validation study requires field data collection. For studies conducted in highway work zones, the availability of safe vantage points for data collection at critical locations can be a significant challenge. A validation framework is therefore proposed in this paper, demonstrated using a fixed-based DS that addresses the issue by using a global positioning system (GPS).
The validation of the DS was conducted using objective and subjective evaluations. The objective validation was divided into qualitative and quantitative evaluations. The DS was validated by comparing the results of simulation with the field data, which were collected using a GPS along the highway and video recordings at specific locations in a work zone. The constructed work zone scenario in the DS was subjectively evaluated with 46 participants.
The objective evaluation established the absolute and relative validity of the DS. The mean speeds from the DS data showed excellent agreement with the field data. The subjective evaluation indicated realistic driving experience by the participants.
The use of GPS showed that continuous data collected along the highway can overcome the challenges of unavailability of safe vantage points especially at critical locations. Further, a validated DS can be used for examining driver behavior in complex situations by replicating realistic scenarios.
本研究旨在验证用于研究工作区驾驶员行为的驾驶模拟器（DS）。验证研究需要进行现场数据收集。对于在高速公路工作区进行的研究，在关键位置获得安全的有利位置进行数据收集可能是一个重大挑战。因此，本文提出了一个验证框架，该框架使用全球定位系统（GPS）来解决这个问题，使用基于固定的 DS 进行演示。
使用客观和主观评估对 DS 进行验证。客观验证分为定性和定量评估。通过将模拟结果与沿公路使用 GPS 收集的现场数据以及特定工作区位置的视频记录进行比较，对 DS 进行验证。46 名参与者对 DS 中的构建工作区场景进行了主观评估。
客观评估确定了 DS 的绝对和相对有效性。DS 数据中的平均速度与现场数据非常吻合。主观评估表明参与者具有逼真的驾驶体验。
GPS 的使用表明，沿公路连续收集的数据可以克服特别是在关键位置无法获得安全有利位置的挑战。此外，通过复制逼真的场景，经过验证的 DS 可以用于研究复杂情况下的驾驶员行为。
