Road scenarios level of details for virtual driving simulation

This paper presents the outcomes of a first study aiming at defining a protocol for an effective 3D modelling methodology for producing virtual scenarios for driving simulators. The study was conducted starting from comparative study and assessment of driver behaviours in relation to simulated driving environments with different Level of Detail (LOD) . The realism of the scenario, indeed, affects driving behaviour and, consequently, the validity of the driving experience assessment. Indeed, many elements, which can be simulated at various LOD in terms of quality and completeness, influence the interaction between driver, vehicle, and environment. In designing virtual driving tests, the creation of driving scenarios, that should be ideally as close as possible to the real context, is becoming increasingly crucial.The paper presents the procedure for modelling scenarios with different LODs in relation to their degree of complexity and expected outcomes. The needed level of realism changes according to the specific goal of the study and the peculiar context taken into consideration. Six main classes of variables of the simulation are considered for the comparative study, namely: 1) Road infrastructure; 2) Vehicle characteristics and its performance; 3) Buildings and all other artefacts visible from the vehicle; 4) Events (pedestrians, signalization, animals, lighting, etc); 5) Environmental conditions (rain, fog, night-time, visibility); 6) Traffic (with different levels of service). Four scenarios, with different LODs of its components, have been developed for the same road path. First results of a survey of driving simulation are also presented.