About the CARRS-Q Advanced Driving Simulator
Queensland’s first state-of-the-art advanced driving simulator is operational at the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q). Based at the Queensland University of Technology, the simulator will advance Australian road safety research and provide new insight to reduce the high death toll on national roads.
This million dollar project incorporates a complete
Holden Commodore vehicle with working controls
and instruments. The advanced driving simulator uses
SCANeR™studio 
software with eight
computers, projectors and a six degree of freedom
(6DOF) motion platform that can move and twist in
three dimensions. When seated in the simulator
vehicle, the driver and passengers are
immersed in a virtual environment that includes a
180 degree front field of view, simulated rear view
mirror images, surround sound for engine and
environment noise, real car cabin and simulated
vehicle motion.
CARRS-Q’s driving simulator has been in part funded by the Australian Research Council, QUT, University of Queensland, Department of Transport and Main Roads, RACQ, Motor Accident Insurance Commission, and General Motors Holden.
How will it be used?
The simulator will bring together researchers from several disciplines including optometry, psychology, mathematics, physiology and road safety. It will provide researchers with new opportunities to study driver behaviour in different driving conditions, with a high degree of realism, but free of crash risk.
A driving scenario can be created to
select specifications - for example, including
impaired driver condition (e.g. fatigue, alcohol or
other drug-impairment), specific environmental
conditions (e.g. inclusion of pedestrians, traffic,
weather and road conditions) and situational
changes (e.g. the sudden appearance of obstacles). The innovative technology will allow researchers to
observe, challenge and record the driver’s reactions
and skills in a controlled, safe environment with
precision accuracy.
For many safety-critical situations, the simulator
will facilitate research answers that would be
difficult, costly and often unsafe to obtain in a real
on-road setting.
What types of research will it benefit?
The simulator can be used for any form of road safety research which requires an understanding of driver behaviour. Given that most crashes can be attributed to driver error, understanding driver behaviour is essential.
CARRS-Q’s simulator will be critical for future research into:
- impaired driving (e.g. fatigue, whiplash, vigilance decline, distraction, alcohol and drug-impaired driving);
- road conditions (e.g. visibility of line markings in poor weather);
- road environment (e.g. behaviour on road curves, in tunnels and on railway crossings);
- in-car technology (e.g. fatigue sensors, audible warnings, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, Internet-enabled devices, future driving assistance devices);
- at-risk road users (e.g. older drivers, young novice drivers); and
- human behaviour (e.g. emergency reactions, interactions with vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists).
Using the Advanced Driving Simulator for your research
CARRS-Q’s simulator is available for use by researchers and industry through contract or collaborative arrangements.
The Centre provides a venue for researchers to execute their
scenario on a driving simulator at several levels of fidelity,
ranging from very high (6DOF motion, 180° visual, real car
cabin) to medium or low fidelity (desktop).
Further information
For more information, download the fact sheet [PDF, 1.56MB], read the press release or watch the launch video on YouTube . You can also watch the 7NEWS report about the simulator on YouTube .
Simulator project enquiries can be addressed to Andrew Haines on 07 3138 4954 or email a.haines@qut.edu.au
Media enquiries should be directed to the Marketing and Events Officer on 07 3138 4568 or email marketing.carrsq@qut.edu.au. High-resolution images are available.
