Truck simulator an instrument for research and training

This paper describes the real-time distributed truck simulator developed by University of Cagliari and Genoa. The simulator has been designed and constructed for realizing research about active safety in driving using a physical simulation model. The different situations which involve during driving want to be necessary reproduced with use of simulator. This work describes the main features and components of the simulator, a transportable containerized facility provided with a 6 degrees-of-freedom motion platform. The simulator has been designed to provide a full immersion environment for high performance training, but also and above all for basic and applied research, monitoring and analyzing operator performance by means of electromedical instruments. The specific activities conducted with the truck simulator (training, research, technological advance) aim to reduce the possibility of accident occurrence, which are largely caused by the onset of fatigue. A research simulator as driving simulation to develop many protocols in active safety for sizing fatigue in different context. One of the main objectives of the research in interaction between man-machine is about conditions that caused in man an overload or under-load of work that must produce a reduction quality of the performance. In European and international sphere many researchers have regarded fatigue and influence in quality of driving, many of these are based on using of driving simulator, other studies "naturalistic" contemplate the use of many equipments inside the same vehicle.