JP2005315999A - Driving simulation method and driving simulator - Google Patents

Abstract

【Task】
It is intended to provide a driving simulation method and a driving simulator capable of satisfying these, such as ensuring the quality of video, improving the somatic sensation of the user, and comfort of simulated driving.
[Solution]
The yaw motion component data and the translational motion component data are obtained from the steering data when the vehicle is making a right turn or left turn in the simulated driving, and the occupant device 11 is driven by the drive mechanism 21 based on the yaw motion component data. Simultaneously with the rotation of the component amount to the right or to the left, the preparation image of the image display mechanism 31 is displayed on the image display surface 32 based on the translational motion component data.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving simulation method and a driving simulator, and more particularly to a driving simulation method and a driving simulator suitable for use in a vehicle experiment apparatus, a vehicle training apparatus, an amusement park vehicle apparatus, a game vehicle apparatus, and the like.

  Driving simulators are used in various fields such as vehicle experiments, vehicle training, amusement park vehicle equipment, and game center vehicle amusement machines. Many of these are provided with a driving device, a drive mechanism, and an image display mechanism.

  In general, in the case of a driving simulator that simulates the driving of a moving body such as a vehicle, translational motion components such as longitudinal motion components, lateral motion components, vertical motion components, and rotational motion such as roll motion components, pitch motion components, yaw motion components, etc. The movement component is defined by the component, and it is devised so that a realistic experience can be obtained based on it. What is described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 6 is an example of the prior art based on such an idea.

  In the prior art of FIG. 5, the driving device 51 is rotatably supported via a drive mechanism 61. The driving device 51 is provided with a driver seat 52 having a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and the like. The video display mechanism 71 is mainly composed of a large screen 72 and a plurality of projectors 73 to 77. Among these, the screen 72 is arrange | positioned in the front area | region of the driving device 51, and the some projector 73-77 is arrange | positioned corresponding to this.

  In FIG. 5, when the driver DV on the driver seat 52 of the driving device 51 starts driving with the setting that he / she has boarded the vehicle, and starts to move in the image space of the screen 72, it corresponds to the moving direction and moving speed. The image on the screen 72 changes. In other words, the image on the screen 72 changes so that the scenery flows backward when moving forward, and the scenery flows forward when moving left. This is because the system is designed so that the translational motion component and the rotational motion component of the vehicle run in the direction opposite to the vehicle traveling direction. Therefore, the images from the projectors 73 to 77 change on the screen 72 as such. In synchronization with this, the drive mechanism 61 swings the driver's seat 52 in the translation direction or the rotation direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when using such a driving simulator, the driver DV can feel as if he / she is actually driving.

  In this type of driving simulator, the motion of the vehicle in response to an input operation such as steering and accelerator is calculated to obtain the acceleration of the translational motion component and the rotational motion component, and the driver's seat is moved as described above by the operation of the drive mechanism based on the acceleration. Rocks. There are roughly two types of swinging at this time. One is that the driving device and the video display mechanism are separated. In order to reproduce the acceleration of the motion component based on the calculation, the driver's seat is swung in both the translation direction and the rotation direction, and then the driver's seat This is a control method for returning to the neutral position. The other is that the driving device and the video display mechanism are integrated. In addition to the same translational direction swing as described above, an integral structure (the driving device and the video is obtained using the rotation angle obtained by calculation). This is a control method in which the display mechanism is rotated. The point that the image projected on the screen is displayed in the direction opposite to the vehicle traveling direction is the same in any method.

Regarding the technology in this field, there are those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below.
JP 2003-162213 A Special table 2003-523526 gazette

  In the above-described driving simulator, when the vehicle S turns right from the point P1 to the direction P2 as shown in FIG. 6, the longitudinal motion component M11 of the translational motion component, the left-right motion component M21, and the yaw rotation of the rotational motion component The component M31 is dominant. In such a case, an image is displayed on the screen 72 of FIG. 5 in a flow that is equivalent to the components M11, M21, and M31 and that is opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle S. That is, the components corresponding to the components M11, M21, and M31 are M12, M22, and M32 in the opposite directions on the screen 72 in FIG. Of these, the image flow based on the yaw rotation component M32 is considerably fast on the screen 72.

  The fast motion of the image on the screen 72 is not only difficult to see due to its speed, but also deteriorates the image quality such as “smear” and “flicker”. Therefore, a large load such as eye strain is given to the driver DV who drives while looking at the screen 72, and uncomfortable feeling is increased. Those who are sensitive to it may develop symptoms such as “motion sickness”. Of course, in actual vehicle driving, the scenery does not change in this way when turning right or left, so the simulated driving itself deviates from the actual one. This is also a factor that lacks reality.

  In view of such technical problems, the present invention provides a driving simulation method capable of satisfying these, such as ensuring the quality of images including the time of direction change, improving the somatic sensation of the user, and comfort of simulated driving. A driving simulator and something to offer.

  The driving simulation method described in claim 1 of the present invention is characterized by the following problem solving means in order to achieve the intended purpose. In other words, the driving simulation method according to claim 1 includes an occupant device, a drive mechanism for operating the occupant device according to the simulated driving situation, and an image for displaying the preparation video on the video display surface according to the simulated driving situation. In the driving simulator combined with the display mechanism, the yaw motion component data and the translational motion component data are obtained from the maneuvering data when the vehicle is making a right turn or left turn in simulated driving, and the yaw motion component data of these is obtained. Based on this, the occupant device is rotated right or left by the drive mechanism by the amount of yaw motion component, and at the same time, the preparation image of the image display mechanism is displayed on the image display surface based on the translational motion component data.

    The driving simulation method according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that in the method according to claim 1, a simulation operation is performed via a steering mechanism equipped in an occupant device.

  The driving simulation method according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that in the method according to claim 1 or 2, any one of a land vehicle, a water vehicle, an underwater vehicle, an air vehicle, and a space vehicle is simulated. To do.

  The driving simulator according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized by the following problem solving means for achieving the intended purpose. That is, the driving simulator according to claim 4 includes an occupant device, a drive mechanism for operating the occupant device according to the simulated driving situation, and a video display for displaying a preparation video on the video display surface according to the simulated driving situation. A calculation means for obtaining yaw motion component data and translational motion component data from the control data during simulated driving, and a drive mechanism based on the yaw motion component data obtained by the calculation means A rotational drive control system for rotationally driving the image and a video control system for displaying the prepared video on the video display surface based on the translational motion component data obtained by the computing means.

  A driving simulator according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the driving simulator according to the fourth aspect, wherein the occupant device is equipped with a steering mechanism.

  The driving simulator according to claim 6 of the present invention is the driving simulator according to claim 4 or 5, simulating the operation of any one of a land vehicle, a water vehicle, an underwater vehicle, an air vehicle, and a space vehicle. It is characterized by.

The driving simulation method and the driving simulator according to the present invention have the following effects.
(1) When making a right turn or left turn during simulated driving, the preparation image is displayed on the image display screen only based on the translational motion component data. Since the image in this case does not include the yaw motion component, the image on the image display surface does not change at such a speed that it is difficult to see, and the quality of the image such as “smear” or “flicker” is deteriorated. There will be no accompaniment. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the quality of the video during the direction change.
(2) When the image quality can be maintained, the driver who drives while looking at the image display surface will not be overloaded or uncomfortable. Therefore, the simulated driving becomes comfortable.
(3) During right turn or left turn during simulated driving, the occupant seat is rotated right or left by the drive mechanism based on the yaw motion component data. In addition, this is performed in synchronism with the video display based on the translational motion component data. Since the rotation of the passenger seat is realistic, the user's somatic feeling is improved and the simulated driving becomes more realistic.

  The driving simulation method and driving simulator exemplified in FIGS. 1 to 4 attached as an embodiment of the present invention are as follows.

  1-3, 11 is a passenger | crew apparatus, 21 is a drive mechanism, 31 is a video display mechanism, 41-44 shows a calculating means, respectively.

  1 to 3, and particularly to FIGS. 2 to 3, an occupant device 11 includes a rotating plate 13 having casters 12 on a lower surface, and a driver's (operator) passenger seat installed on the rotating plate 13. 14 and a plurality of control mechanisms (input mechanisms) 15 to 17 that are also mounted on the rotary plate 13. Regarding the steering mechanisms 15 to 17, one steering mechanism 15 is a steering device, the other one steering mechanism 16 is an accelerator device, and the other one steering mechanism 17 is a brake device.

  1 to 3 and particularly FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 21 for rotating the occupant device 11 is installed on the substrate 22 via the substrate 22 fixed to the floor surface and the support base 23. The motor (pulse command type AC servo motor) 24 is mainly used. A plate-like coupling member is attached to the output shaft of the motor 24 at an end portion that penetrates the top plate of the support base 23. Therefore, the occupant device 11 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 24 by fixing the rotating plate 13 covered on the motor 24 to the coupling member on the motor side. Of course, the motor 24 is connected to a power source, and a rotation drive control system (motor driver) 25 is attached thereto.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the video display mechanism 31 is mainly composed of a video display surface 32 and a plurality of projectors 33 to 37. The video display surface 32 composed of a large screen is disposed in a region extending from the front surface to both side surfaces around the occupant device 11, and the projectors 33 to 37 are disposed to correspond to the video display surface 32.

  Each computing means 41 to 44 illustrated in FIG. 1 is composed of an electronic computer (computer), and has a circuit storing a predetermined program or the like. Of these, the computing means 41 is the main one. When the operation data (accelerator operation amount, brake operation amount, steering angle, etc.) is input from the operation mechanisms 15 to 17 of the occupant device 11, the main calculation means 41 calculates the motion of the simulated driving vehicle using the operation data. Then, a part or all of the calculation result is input to another calculation means. When the calculation means (scenario computer) 42 receives the calculation result related to the translational motion from the calculation means 41, the calculation means 42 calculates the video from the calculation coordinate viewpoint on its own video database. The computing means (image generation computer) 43 is for generating an image to be displayed on the screen 32. This outputs the video created in response to the calculation result of the calculation means 42 to the projectors 33 to 37. Only one arithmetic unit 43 is shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of simplicity, but there are actually a number (five units) corresponding to each projector 33 to 37. When the calculation means (electric control unit computer = ECU computer) 44 receives the calculation result regarding the rotational motion from the calculation means 41, it calculates the number of pulses and the pulse speed necessary for the motor 24 for rotating the occupant device 11, This is output to the rotational drive control system 25.

  When the method of the present invention is carried out using the device of the present invention illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, an example is shown in FIG. 4.

  When starting in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 1, the operator DV attached to the passenger seat 14 of the occupant device 11 starts a simulated operation of the vehicle (for example, a vehicle such as an automobile). Specifically, the operation is started by operating the steering mechanisms 15 to 17 such as a steering device, an accelerator device, and a brake device. This starts each step of FIG.

  At the first step S1 in FIG. 4, the operation amount of each of the steering mechanisms 15-17, that is, the accelerator operation amount, the brake operation amount, the steering angle, etc. is input to the main calculation means 41 as data D7. In the second step S2 of FIG. 4, the calculation means 41 calculates the motion of the vehicle using the data D7, and obtains the plane coordinates and the yaw angle of the vehicle. The calculation means 41 inputs the plane coordinates obtained here as data D1 to the calculation means 42, and simultaneously inputs the yaw angle as data D4 to the calculation means 44.

  The third step S3 to the seventh step S7 in FIG. 4 are for rotating the occupant device 11 according to the yaw angle. That is, at the time of the third step S3, the calculation means 44 obtains a change in the yaw angle using the difference between the newly input yaw angle data D4 and the old yaw angle (the previous one), and rotates the motor 24. Determine the angle. In the fourth step S4, the calculation means 44 calculates the number of pulses and the pulse speed necessary for reproducing the motor rotation angle obtained in the third step S3 as data D5. In the subsequent fifth step S5, the calculation means 44 issues a command based on the data D5 obtained in the fourth step S4 to the rotational drive control system 25. That is, the calculation means 44 issues a command to the rotational drive control system 25 regarding the number of pulses and the pulse speed when the motor 24 is rotated. The rotation drive control system 25 in the sixth step S <b> 6 inputs predetermined control power D <b> 6 to the motor 24. Thus, when the seventh step S7 is reached, the motor 24 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise by the yaw motion component amount, and rotates the occupant device 11 by the predetermined amount at the predetermined speed in the same direction.

  On the other hand, the image displayed on the image display surface 32 at the start of the simulated operation is changed after the start of FIG. That is, after the first step S1 and the second step S2, and after the eighth step S8 synchronized with the third step S3, the video on the video display surface 32 is changed as follows. Of course, the above-described rotation of the occupant device 11 is performed at the time of a right turn or a left turn while moving in the image space of the image display surface 32, and thus is synchronized with the image display at that time.

  In 8th step S8 of FIG. 4, the calculating means 42 extracts the image | video of the said plane coordinate viewpoint from the image | video database using the plane coordinate data D1 input from the calculating means 41. FIG. That is the video data D2. The calculation means 42 inputs this data D2 to the calculation means 43. In the ninth step S9 of FIG. 4, the five arithmetic means 43 output the video D3 simulating the translational motion of the vehicle to the projectors 33 to 37 using the video data D2. In the tenth step S <b> 10 of FIG. 4, the projectors 33 to 37 project the simulated video D <b> 3 onto the screen 32. Thus, when the eleventh step S11 is reached, an image D3 simulating the translational motion of the vehicle is displayed on the screen 32.

  When an example of the simulation operation in the present invention is as described in FIG. 6, the screen 32 in FIG. 1 has a flow M12 in the direction opposite to the translational motion component (the longitudinal motion component M11 and the left-right motion component M21). -Only an image is displayed at M22, and a rotational motion component is not combined with this. On the other hand, the rotational movement component (yaw rotation component M31) is dealt with by the occupant device 11 rotating in the same direction. Therefore, the image on the screen 32 maintains high quality without “smear” or “flicker”, and does not give a large load to the operator DV or increase discomfort. Moreover, since the rotation of the occupant device 11 coincides with the actual driving, the reality of the simulated driving is also improved.

  In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the occupant device 11 is equipped with manual steering mechanisms 15-17. This may be an automatic steering mechanism, or a manual steering mechanism and an automatic steering mechanism may be provided. Further, in the case of remote control, the steering mechanism may be omitted from the occupant device 11.

  Regarding embodiments other than the illustration of the present invention, there may be a plurality of occupant seats 14 of the occupant device 11, and seats of persons other than the driver and the driver, for example, passenger seats may be provided. In the case of remote control, only the passenger seat is provided in the occupant device 11.

  In the video display mechanism 31 used in the embodiment of the present invention, the size of the video display surface 32 is not particularly limited, and the number of projectors 33 to 37 may be increased or decreased as compared to the illustrated example. As the video display mechanism 31, any liquid crystal screen display method, CRT display method, plasma screen display method, or the like can be adopted. Video databases based on live-action images, created using computer graphics techniques, or a combination of both are used.

  Vehicles subject to simulated driving in the present invention include land vehicles (e.g., vehicles such as automobiles), water vehicles (e.g., motor boats and other ships), underwater vehicles (e.g., submarines and deep sea exploration vehicles), and air vehicles. (Example: passenger plane, fighter plane, etc.) ・ Space vehicle (Ex: space rocket, space probe, etc.) is arbitrarily selected. This includes fictitious vehicles.

  The driving simulation method and driving simulator of the present invention described above are used in various fields such as vehicle experiments, vehicle training, amusement park vehicle facilities, and game center vehicle amusement machines.

  The driving simulation method and the driving simulator according to the present invention have high image quality, can be used comfortably without feeling of fatigue, and have high reality. Therefore, it is useful and useful when applied to vehicle experiments, vehicle training, amusement park vehicle equipment, game center vehicle amusement machines, and the like.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of a driving simulation method and a driving simulator according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the occupant device in FIG. 1. It is a bottom view of the passenger | crew apparatus in FIG. It is the block diagram which showed an example of the step of the driving simulation method which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which showed schematically an example of the prior art. It is a figure explaining an example of simulation driving.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Passenger apparatus 15 Steering mechanism 16 Steering mechanism 17 Steering mechanism 21 Drive mechanism 22 Substrate 24 Motor 25 Rotation drive control system 31 Video display mechanism 32 Video display surface 33 Projector 34 Projector 35 Projector 36 Projector 37 Projector 41 Calculation means 42 Calculation means 43 Calculation Means 44 Calculation means

Claims (6)

  In a driving simulator in which an occupant device, a drive mechanism for operating the occupant device according to the simulated driving situation, and a video display mechanism for displaying a preparation image on the video display surface according to the simulated driving situation, The yaw motion component data and the translational motion component data are obtained from the steering data when the vehicle is making a right turn or left turn in simulated driving, and the occupant device is driven by the drive mechanism based on the yaw motion component data. The driving simulation method is characterized in that the image prepared by the image display mechanism is displayed on the image display surface based on the translational motion component data at the same time as the image is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise.   The driving simulation method according to claim 1, wherein the simulation operation is performed via a steering mechanism installed in the occupant device.   The driving simulation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one of a land vehicle, a water vehicle, an underwater vehicle, an air vehicle, and a space vehicle is simulated.   It consists of a combination of an occupant device, a drive mechanism for operating the occupant device according to the simulated driving situation, and a video display mechanism for displaying the preparation video on the video display surface according to the simulated driving situation, Computing means for obtaining yaw motion component data and translational motion component data from the steering data when driving, and a rotational drive control system for rotationally driving the drive mechanism based on the yaw motion component data obtained by the computing means And a video control system for displaying a prepared video on the video display surface based on the translational motion component data obtained by the computing means.   The driving simulator according to claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism is mounted on the occupant device.   The driving simulator according to claim 4 or 5, which simulates the operation of any one of a land vehicle, a water vehicle, an underwater vehicle, an air vehicle, and a space vehicle.

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