Using Matlab-based Driving Simulator for Human Factor Assessment

Abstract

We discuss the possibility of using simulation technologies for human factor assessment. In this context, a simple car-driving simulator was developed in MATLAB/Simulink. A human driver controls a simulated drive via an input HCI (Human-Computer Interface) device, i.e., a joystick or a steering wheel with pedals, exploiting the perception of the current situation in the visualized scene. To enable the human factor assessment, several testing scenarios were designed and implemented; some of these were subsequently used for measuring the driver’s responses to the simple visual stimuli. We analyzed the acquired data and evaluated the basic parameters of the human operator, such as the reaction delay or the attitude to control. The results indicate the potential for more complex experiments in this field.