Vioso calibrates st Engineering Antycip's advanced simulator for autonomous vehicles

ST Engineering Antycip has contributed a custom-designed simulator, That Uses Projectors canon and calibration software Vioso, to the investigation of human interactions with autonomous vehicles in the Cardiff University (United Kingdom).

This pioneering research on autonomous driving, that is performed in the unit Prifysgol Caerdydd of the Cardiff University, It is powered by ST Engineering Antycip to create a tailor-made transport simulator, composed of three projectors of canon calibrated with the software Anyblend VR&Sim of Vioso for an immersive display.

This new simulator enables in-depth analysis and precise human-centric experimentation, The purpose of which is to investigate how it perceives and interacts with autonomous vehicles. The research is being carried out by a body funded by the EU, called the Artificial Intelligence Center, Robotics and human-machine systems (Irohms) of this university, supervised by Phil Morgan, Professor and Director of Research at this Center.

“"One of the things we're interested in is how people attribute blame in an accident between people and self-driving cars," Morgan explains. To study this from a practical perspective, It is crucial to conduct experiments with simulations and, Where possible, with AV prototypes, along with surveys and the like, to collect supplementary data on subjective perceptions”.

This means measuring, both cognitively and emotionally, How Humans Behave in Relation to Autonomous Transportation, particularly during situations where fault can be attributed.

That's why, Morgan adds, “We have to simulate some situations that people can't yet encounter in the real world and evaluate a technology that is not fully developed, all in a safe environment. That we know, there is no other driving simulator with these capabilities in Wales and we want to link it with the few that exist in the UK, such as the Bristol Robotics Laboratory research center”.

Qiyuan Zhang, Professor of Human Behaviour at Cardiff University, Remember the start of the project: “we had heard very good things about ST Engineering Antycip, as well as the simulation software provider. They stood out among their competitors in the market for their long history of good services and their high level of professionalism. Although the process took more than a year, It was worth it, as we knew the final product would be fit for purpose”.

For its part, John Mould, Director of Business Development at ST Engineering Antycip, underscores the company's long history of providing immersive viewing solutions. “The university needed a system that would work in their specific room space and accommodate a future life-size vehicle or driving simulation equipment, So we use our expertise to understand and meet your requirements and provide the perfect solution accordingly”.

specifically, ST Engineering Antycip provided three of the projectors Canon XEED 500ST, each with a luminosity of 5.000 Lumens, WUXGA Resolution & Lenses 0,56:1, that were used to map the surface of the screen. To do this, they were mounted from the ceiling by means of a customized mechanical bracket.

Video signals are transmitted from the imagers via HDMI cables 15 metre, while using Ethernet for each projector's communications and having full remote control.

While these components were relatively common, The display was entirely custom-made. “We wanted a screen substrate that was inherently more stable than a standard tensile fabric system, to reduce the thermal and pressure effects of air within the room space over time”, John Mould points out.

That's why, the ST Engineering Antycip team proposed a “More artisanal approach to the screen, with a rigid structure that offered good stability for the images that would be captured on its surface. Our technology partners and manufacturer Visual Displays were contracted to support this installation, Working closely with our engineers to create the bespoke cylindrical display surface”.

Cardiff University staff were trained on how the technology works from ST Engineering Antycip during the start-up phases, Testing & Delivery. In addition, “You can ask for our support ad-hoc to help them if they encounter unforeseen difficulties with the system in the future”, Mould assures.

Although Covid restrictions have meant that the Irohms team has to carry out their research online for the time being, They are looking forward to the opportunity to launch the new simulator for this research.

“The development of this technology must be knowledge-based, Zhang says, to know how humans will respond and to make sure that the design of human-machine interfaces accommodates the limited cognitive capacity of humans. The mere functionality of a system is useless if humans can't use it. The best way to do this is through simulation, And we're so glad that we will soon”.

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