NADS MaritimeSystemsPvtLtd

National Advanced Driving Simulator
The University of Iowa
2401 Oakdale Blvd.
Iowa City, IA 52242
Driving Simulator Proposal
Executive Summary
The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) is pleased to provide the following proposal for Driver
Training Simulators for the Maritime Systems Pvt. Limited. The proposal outlines partial‐ cab driving
simulators with optional pitch/surge onset‐cueing or 6 degree of freedom (DOF) motion bases. The
visuals are displayed on LCD displays or 3‐projection screens. NADS had the experience and technical
capability to deliver leading‐edge simulators that will fulfill your training requirements.
Unlike many commercial systems, NADS technology is currently in use by NADS staff on a daily basis to
fulfill research contracts on our NADS‐1, NADS‐2, and MiniSim™ research and training simulators. NADS
staff keep the technology up to date at all times to support the leading‐edge research at NADS. In
addition, we have a growing community of researchers and trainers using NADS simulator technology in
their programs.

[Type the company address] Page 1

Copyright 2010 NADS/UI. NADS/UI Confidential
1. MiniSim™ Driving Simulators

1.1 HeavyTruck MiniSim™ (Bus, Truck)
The MiniSim™ Heavy Truck driving simulator is based on technology developed for the research
simulators located at NADS. We propose a partial‐cab MiniSim driving simulator combined with 42”
widescreen displays, Figure 1 and Figure 2. The simulator will be provided with the following:
 Heavy Truck MiniSim cab with the following features:
o LCD display that will act as the virtual instrument cluster
o Real truck seat, steering wheel, pedals and gear shift
o Steering Loading Mechanism
o 2.1 channel sound system with vibration transducer under seat and dash
o Audio Amplifier
o Single rack‐mounted PC with Solid‐State Hard Disks in RAID configuration
 Three LCD displays of 42” diagonal measurement.
 Field of view: 165° Horizontal x 30° Vertical at 38” viewing distance.
 A 20” LCD display for the Simulator Operator GUI interface to start/stop the simulation and
choose scenarios, and use the ISAT.
 MiniSim™ real‐time driving simulation software
 ISAT™ scenario authoring tool for creating/modifying scenarios
 DAQ Viewer and DAQ Convert tools for data analysis using Matlab (Matlab not included)
 10 assembled, sample databases
 Power Requirement: 1650W. Dedicated 15A, 120V circuit required.
Optional Accessories
 Onset Motion Cueing, Pitch/Surge
 6 DOF Motion Base Option
 Video Capture system (1‐4 Channels) with overlay of simulator frame number.
 Additional PC for ISAT and TMT.
 Additional operator displays to reflect simulator displays.

The Onset Motion Cueing option provides accurate and life‐like cues for braking and accelerating. Many
users prefer this type of motion system to a hexapod, as it provides good feel for reasonable cost.


Onset Motion Cueing
Motion Base
Figure 1: Quarter‐Cab Heavy‐Truck MiniSim™ Driving Simulator. Actual cab will have LCD ‘Virtual’ Instrument Cluster.
Figure 2: Heavy Truck MiniSim Dashboard LCD Display. Note gear indicator to provide feedback on the proper use of the
Hi/Lo range selector and Overdrive/Direct controls.


NADS DriveYard™ HeavyTruck Training Environment
NADS has developed a training environment specifically for Heavy Trucks, called DriveYard™. This
environment includes an area to practice maneuvering the tractor‐trailer, such as serpentine, backing‐
up, and docking. There is a building with several types of loading docks and an area with two different
inclines. A road network that includes two‐lane highway and intestate roads is also included where
turns at intersections and higher‐speed maneuvers such as merging, lane change, and passing can be
practiced.
Figure 3: NADS DriveYard Heavy‐Truck Training Environment, showing maneuver area and road network.
Figure 4: Screenshots from NADS Heavy Truck MiniSim, showing 90‐deg parking (L) and parallel parking (R)


1.2 NADS MiniSim ¼ Cab Simulator (Car, SUV, Van, Ambulance, Light Truck)
Figure 5: The MiniSim™ Driving Simulator with Partial Cab (L)
We propose a partial‐cab MiniSim driving simulator combined with plasma displays, Figure 5 The
simulator will be provided with the following:
 MiniSim cab with the following features:
o LCD display that will act as the virtual instrument cluster
o Real‐vehicle seat, steering wheel with column gear selector, and pedals
o ‘Active Steering Loader’ with DC motor/microprocessor control
o 2.1 channel sound system with vibration transducer under seat
o Audio Amplifier with External Controls
o Single rack‐mounted PC with Solid‐State Hard Disks in RAID configuration
 Three 1024x768 plasma displays of 42” diagonal measurement.
 Field of view: 130° Horizontal x 24° Vertical at 48” viewing distance.
 A 22” LCD display that will provide operators with a GUI interface to start/stop the simulation
and choose scenarios, and use the ISAT and the TMT.
 MiniSim™ real‐time driving simulation software
 ISAT™ scenario authoring tool for creating/modifying scenarios
 TMT™ virtual environment authoring tool with 92 sample tiles
 Six assembled, sample databases
 1 practice scenario, approximately 5 minutes in length



Figure 6: MiniSim Footprint
Figure 7: MiniSim Operator Display and GUI


2. NADS Software
2.1 Overview
The miniSim Driving Simulator contains the following core software components:
 Real‐Time Core
 Simulation Control Front‐End GUI
 Driving Control Feel and Instrumentation
 Vehicle Dynamics
 Scenario Control
 Visual Rendering
 Audio Engine
 Data Acquisition
RealTime Core
The real‐time core is the underlying engine that coordinates the execution of the various functionalities
of the simulator and provides the real‐time data communication mechanism among components, either
through shared memory on the same computer, or through a local TCP/IP connection between different
computers. The other components are built on top of the real‐time core.
Simulation Control FrontEnd GUI
The front‐end GUI provides control to the driving simulation process and to data collection and analysis.
The operator can start and stop drives, select different scenarios, play presentation slides, and collect
and analyze driving data through the front‐end GUI. The GUI will be displayed on a small touchpad
screen.
Driving Control Feel and Instrumentation
The driving control feel and instrumentation component reads the driver’s control input via the steering
wheel and foot pedals and passes it to the vehicle dynamics component. It also takes the vehicle data
such as speed and engine RPM and renders them to the instruments, which are simulated on the main
display.
Vehicle Dynamics
The vehicle dynamics component provides a physics‐based vehicle model that simulates the vehicle the
subjects drive during the runs. It is identical to the corresponding component in the large NADS
simulators. By changing input data, the same software can be used to simulate different types of
vehicles.


Scenario Control
The scenario control component is responsible for simulating the behavior of other vehicles and objects
in the virtual environment. It is identical to the scenario control component in the large NADS simulators
and takes the same scenario configuration files generated by ISAT as input.
Visual Rendering
The visual rendering component renders the visual scene to the main display(s) of the driving simulator.
One PC with a high‐performance graphics card will be used for the rendering of up to three main
channels. The renderer is built on top of an OpenGL‐based open‐source graphics library.
Audio Engine
The audio engine provides audio cues to the driver. The component produces sounds from the own
vehicle, including engine, powertrain, and tires, as well as sounds from the surrounding environment.
The PC that hosts the audio engine is equipped with a PC audio card and connected to a set of speakers.
Data Acquisition
The driver’s data are collected at the same frequency that the miniSim runs. The set of data that can be
collected includes driving control inputs, own vehicle states, and scenario data. All data are stored on
file for replay and future analysis.
2.2 Dependent Measures
Values and locations of Maximum and/or Minimum
Typical values are maximum brake pedal force, maximum steering wheel angle, maximum/minimum
longitudinal/lateral acceleration and maximum/minimum own vehicle speed. These values are usually
used to study the severity of the driver’s action or movement, particularly useful in examining stopping
or slowing in unsafe circumstances or unsafe intersection behavior typical of impaired drivers.
 Time to Maximum Brake Press: Time from the start of the event until the driver has
maximum brake displacement
 Maximum Deceleration
 Maximum Steering Rate
 Maximum Lateral Acceleration
 Maximum Lateral Jerk
Average and deviation
Values can be used to study the driver’s behavior while distracted or impaired. For example, the lane
deviation of the driver’s vehicle has been used to study the influence of alcohol on the driver. These
values better capture the variation of driver’s performance versus more extreme responses captured in
minimum/maximum values.


 Average own vehicle speed
 Lane deviation of driver vehicle
 Average brake pedal force
 Average steering wheel angle.
Reaction time
Values include accelerator pedal release time, brake pedal press time, sign‐recognition reaction time,
etc. These values are used to study the driver’s reaction time during an event. For example, if the driver
is asked to press a button upon seeing a certain sign, the time between the sign appearing and the
button press is the sign‐recognition reaction time. This measure indicates how fast and well a driver is
monitoring the environment, particularly relevant for landmark and traffic sign identification tasks,
other tasks designed to assess visual search and target recognition, or route following tasks using verbal
directions to a destination to test verbal memory, visual perception and attention.
 Accelerator Release Reaction Time: Time from the start of the event until the driver has released
the accelerator pedal
 Brake Press Reaction Time: Time from the start of the event until the driver initially presses the
brake pedal
 Button‐push or Verbal Response Reaction Time
Steering Responses
Erratic steering, leading to shoulder incursions or lane excursions, are often indicators of increased
driver workload.
 Time to Steering Onset: Time from start of the event until the driver has a corrective steering
input exceeding 5 degrees
 Length of Excursion
 Extent of Excursion
 Area of Excursion
 Duration of Excursion
Lane change detection
This measure includes the detection of a lane change, how long the lane change takes, lane change
angle, etc. Lane changes are very common events in real life.
 Minimum Time‐To‐Line Crossing: The minimum time‐to‐collision from event onset until end of
the event.
 Time‐To‐Line Crossing At Accelerator Release
 Time‐To‐Line Crossing At Brake Press
 Time‐To‐Line Crossing At Steering Onset


Eyetracking (Optional)
Eye‐tracking is used to study the driver’s eye movements during the events. Measures include time
spent looking frontward, into mirrors or over the shoulder. These measures can be used to examine how
the driver observes the environment generally, as well as for specific tasks measuring attention, divided
attention, and selective attention while driving.
 Eyes on Road Time
 Eyes on Target Time
 Eyes off road at event onset: An indication of distraction
Crash detection
Crash detection includes detecting the crash, the speed of the driver vehicle at the time of the crash,
and the speed of the other vehicle at the time of the crash (if applicable). Conflict risk. Conflict risk is
also used to study the degree of danger between the own vehicle and a lead or adjacent vehicle. The
degree of danger depends on the speed of the two vehicles and the distance between them.
 Collision: Indicates whether the driver’s vehicle collided with the braking lead vehicle
 Relative Velocity at Collision: Indicates the difference in speed at the time the vehicles collided.
 Near Misses: Indicates that the driver was near colliding with the lead vehicle.
 Conflict: Indicates that the driver was in conflict with the lead vehicle.
Time to collision
Time to collision is defined as how long it would take the own vehicle to collide with another object if
the own vehicle maintains its current status.
 Minimum Time‐To‐Collision: The minimum time‐to‐collision from event onset until end of the
event
 Time‐To‐Collision at Accelerator Release
 Time‐To‐Collision at Brake Press
 Time‐To‐Collision at Maximum Brake
 Adjusted Minimum TTC: Minimum Time‐to‐Collision adjusted to account for crashes. Negative
values indicate how much sooner the driver would need to have responded to avoid the
collision.



Main Visual Channel(s)
Mirror(s)
SCNVIF AUDIO
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
Visuals
Audio Engine
Scenario Control
DAQ
DYNA
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
Data Collection
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer

Embedded Data
Reduction
Vehicle Dynamics
Local Ethernet/Shared Memory
Hard Disk
(Optional)
(Optional) CUSTOM
MOTION
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer

R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
Motion Washout Custom Functions
Custom
Motion Hardware
Base
CFS
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
FRONT‐END
Ctrl Inputs/Feedbk
R/T Scheduler
Comm. Layer
Simulation
State/Mode Instrumentation
Control
Touchpad Steering & Instruments

Screen Pedals

Figure 8 ‐ MiniSim(TM) computing architecture with optional motion subsystem and custom subsystem
The following software will be provided with the system:


2.3 Front End GUI
The operator uses the Graphical User interface (GUI) interface to load scenarios, select the participant
and run, enable motion, and start and stop the scenario.
2.4 MiniSim™ Heavy Truck Simulator Software
The MiniSim Heavy Truck training simulator includes the following features:
 MiniSim™ real‐time driving simulation software:
o Freightliner Century (Class 8) validated vehicle dynamics model
o Manual Transmission Models (9,13,18 speed Roadranger)
o Fuel usage display (mile/gal, km/liter)
o Ownship model, including side view mirrors
o Instrument Panel
o Audio Samples
 NADS DriveYard™ truck driving virtual environment:
o A large maneuver area, approximately ½ mile x ½ mile in size
o A building with a variety of loading dock configurations
o Slopes
o Two‐lane highway and interstate ring‐roads with intersections
 Training Scenarios:
o Backing up – loading dock(s), sigh‐side and blind‐side
o Right hand and left‐hand turns, from inside and outside lanes
o Tight quarters maneuvering
o Parking – straight, parallel
o Serpentine – forward, reverse
 Fundamental Skills Assessment Module tracks the following measures for each student:
o Number of engine stalls
o Number of gear grinds
o Number of non‐double clutch shifts
o Number of brake and clutch presses
o Collisions (barrel, cars, building, walls)
o Time between Scenario Start and Scenario Stop (execution time)
o Max speed
o Max/Min RPM
o Shutdown status: brakes on, engine off, in gear, flashers on
o Hi/Lo range and Splitter Sequence
o Number of Unintended Lane Departures
o Observance of posted speeds
o Average Headway
o Evaluate the centering of the truck in the parking slot
 A user interface to start/stop the simulation and choose scenarios


2.5 Integrated Scenario Authoring Tool (ISAT™)
A single copy of the ISAT™ tool will be included, which will allow control over scenarios. This tool allows
users to determine the placement, timing and selection of signs/objects encountered by participants.
The tool allows users to modify scenarios provided by NADS to create new scenarios from scratch.
The NADS ISAT™ is one of the most full‐featured scenario authoring tools available anywhere in the
world. This tool, originally built in 1996, is currently in its 4th edition. The tool can be installed on most
PC desktop or laptops. We recommend that it is installed on a separate PC with an internet connection.
Figure 9 ‐ NADS ISAT™ scenario authoring tool


2.6 TMT™ (Tile Mosaic Tool)
A single copy of the TMT™ tool will be included at no cost. The National Advanced Driving Simulator
relies upon the TMT software for construction of correlated synthetic simulation environments. The
software and graphics tile libraries are supported and maintained by a team of staff with over 40 years
of combined simulation experience.
The TMT uses a modular, extendable library of visual and correlated logical or virtual components. A
library of approximately 50 tiles will be included. Each tile is constructed as a self‐contained set of files
that function as a single entity. Each file set contains visual features, and may be populated with some
or all of the following: roads, intersections, signs, collision elements, terrain objects and location
markers called placeholders. The set of files is commonly referred to as a singular entity called a
Database Tile. The library of modular component Tiles is called a Tile Library. The Tile Mosaic Tool
(TMT) is an easy to use, graphical user interface application used to assemble previously created terrain
and correlated databases, and publish them into a simulation environment. Simulation rendering
performance can be adjusted through the TMT – there is no need to re‐work source Tile database files.
The TMT is provided by NADS under license from Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Division,
NADS staff has maintained and updated the code for over 10 years and will provide all support and
training in the use of the software.
Figure 10 ‐ Geo‐typical Tile database assembly within the Tile Mosaic Tool


2.7 Data Acquisition (DAQ) File Contents
A large collection of variables are collected at during a person’s drive on the MiniSim. At the end of the
drive, a DAQ file is written with a large number of variables that log the state of the simulation at each
moment during the person’s drive. A DAQ file can be loaded and viewed in the ISAT™ which allows
users to playback the drive and view/graph the state of each variable. A utility called daqConvert is also
included that allows users to convert a DAQ file into Matlab or text/ASCII formats. Another utility called
daqViewer is also included that provides a quick way to plot variables from a DAQ file.
Figure 11 ‐ daqViewer Screenshots. DaqViewer is a NADS Developed Matlab GUI.
Figure 12: Sample Plot of Truck Tire Contact Patch X‐Y Location From DAQ File Using Matlab


Driver Input Variables
These variables provide information about the driver’s inputs to the driving simulator. These include
information from the steering wheel, accelerator, brake, shifter and turn signal inputs.
Driver Input Variables Definition and Units Collection

Frequency
Accelerator Pedal Position Normalized value between 1 and 0 indicating the 60 Hz
accelerator’s position. A value of 0 implies that the
accelerator is fully released and value of 1 implies that
the accelerator is fully depressed.
Auto Transmission Mode Indicates the current gear that the transmission is in. Differential
‐2 = Park, ‐1 = Reverse, 0 = Neutral, 1 = First, 2 =
Second, 3 = Drive, 4 = Overdrive
Steering Wheel Angle The steering wheel’s angle (in degrees). Values 60 Hz
typically range between ‐202.5 to +202.5 degrees.
Negative values indicate that the steering wheel is
being turned to the left whereas positive values
indicate that the steering wheel is being turned to the
right.
Cruise Control State The state of the cruise control button Differential
0 = Not available, 1 = off, 2 = On, 3 = Set/Accel, 4 =
Resume, 5 = Coast
Car Horn 1 – off, 2 ‐ on Differential
Turn Signals Indicates the state of the turn signal driver input Differential
1 = no turn signal on, 2 = left turn signal on, 3 = right
turn signal on


Collision Detection Variables
These variables provide information about which objects the driver has collided with during their drive.
Collision Detection Definition and Units Collection

Variables Frequency
Collision Count How many collisions with the ownship vehicle have 60 Hz
taken place so far. The value ranges between 0 and n
where n is the total of number of collisions in the
entire drive so far.
Collision List Size Number of objects that are colliding with the driver’s 60 Hz
vehicle and are present in the collision list. Values
range between 0 and 10.
Note: A maximum of 10 collisions are recorded per
frame of execution. Priority is given to objects that are
on the list in the previous frame.
Collision Object SOL The SOL identifiers of objects that are colliding with 60 Hz
Identifiers the driver’s vehicle. The SOL identifier gives the user
an indication of what type of object has collided with
the driver. This is an array of 10 variables.
If the value of the Collision_List_Size is n, only the first
n values in this array are valid. Each valid value ranges
between 1 and n where n is the highest SOL identifier.
Collision Object Type The type identifier of the objects that are colliding 60 Hz
Identifiers with the driver’s vehicle. This is an array of 10
variables.
n values in this array are valid. Valid values are:
1 – trajectory follower (DDOs)
2 – vehicle (can be ADOs or static objs)
7 – traffic signs
9 – obstacle
13 – walker
Collision Object CVED The CVED identifiers of the objects that are colliding 60 Hz
Identifiers with the driver’s vehicle. A CVED identifier uniquely
identifies the exact object that is colliding with the
driver’s vehicle. This is an array of 10 variables.
n values in this array are valid. Each valid value ranges
between 2 and n where n is the highest CVED
identifier.


Scenario Variables
These variables provide information about the state of the virtual environment and the dynamic objects
(other traffic) around the driver.
Scenario Variables Definition and Units Collection

Frequency
DynObj Data Size An integer that indicates the number of scenario 60 Hz
objects around the driver’s vehicle that information is
being logged for.
The maximum number of objects which data can be
logged is 20.
DynObj SOL Identifiers The SOL identifiers of scenario objects around the 60 Hz
driver’s vehicle. The SOL identifier identifies the
dynamic object from the SOL library. This is an array
of 20 integers
If the value of the DataSize is n, only the first n values
in this array are valid. Each valid value ranges
DynObj CVED Identifiers The CVED identifiers of scenario objects around the 60 Hz
driver’s vehicle. The CVED identifier uniquely
identifies an object in the entire simulation. This is an
array of 20 integers.
DynObj Headings Headings (in degrees) of scenario objects around the 60 Hz
driver’s vehicle. This is an array of 20 floats and
objects are sorted with their distance to the driver’s
vehicle.
DynObj Names Names of scenario objects around the driver’s vehicle. 60 Hz
The user may assign names to each object using the
ISAT™. This is an array of 20 char arrays. Objects are
sorted with their distance to the driver’s vehicle.
DynObj Positions Positions (x,y,z in scenario coordinates) of scenario 60 Hz
objects around the driver’s vehicle. This is an array of
60 floats. Objects are sorted with their distance to the
driver’s vehicle.


DynObj Roll and Pitch Roll and pitch values (i,j,k) of scenario objects around 60 Hz
the driver’s vehicle. This is an array of 120 floats.
Objects are sorted with their distance to the driver’s
vehicle.
DynObj Audio and Visual Indicates the current audio and visual settings for the 60 Hz
States scenario objects around the driver’s vehicle. This is an
array of 40 integers. Objects are sorted with their
distance to the driver’s vehicle.
DynObj Velocity Velocities (in ft/s) of the scenario objects around the 60 Hz
driver’s vehicle. This is an array of 20 floats and
objects are sorted with their distance to the driver.
Lead Vehicle Information This array provides information about the vehicle in 60 Hz
front of the driver. This an array of 9 floats with the
following elements:
1st – CVED identifier of object (‐1 = no vehicle in front
of driver
2nd ‐ distance to lead vehicle (in feet)
3rd ‐ bumper‐to‐bumper time to lead vehicle (in
seconds)
4th ‐ bumper‐to‐bumper distance to lead vehicle (in
feet)
5th ‐ time‐to‐collision (in seconds)
6th ‐ lead vehicle velocity (ft/s)
7th – x coordinate of lead vehicle
8th – y coordinate of lead vehicle
9th – z coordinate of lead vehicle
Lane Deviation Information about the driver’s vehicle and it’s current 60 Hz


lane position. This is array of 4 floats:
1st: ‐1 (on an intersection corridor), 1 (on a lane)
2nd: lateral offset from the center of lane/corridor
3rd: width of the current lane (corridor’s width is not
reported)
4th: Lane/corridor CVED identifier

Vehicle Dynamics Variables
These variables provide information about the state of the driver’s vehicle during the drive.
Vehicle Dynamics Definition and Units Collection

Variables Frequency
Surface Tire Index 0=Intersections and drivable off‐road, 14=Road, Differential
20=Shoulder
Chassis CG Acceleration The driver vehicle’s acceleration in ft/seconds2 60 Hz
Chassis CG angular velocity The driver vehicle’s angular velocity in 60 Hz
degrees/seconds
Chassis CG Orientation The driver vehicle’s orientation in degrees 60 Hz
Chassis CG Position The driver vehicle’s position (in feet) 60 Hz
Chassis CG Velocity The driver vehicle velocity (in mph) 60 Hz
Eye‐point Orientation The driver’s eye‐point orientation (in degrees) in 60 Hz
global coordinates
Eye‐point Position The driver’s eye‐point position (in degrees) in global 60 Hz
coordinates
Head‐point Angular The head‐point’s angular velocity (in degrees/second) 60 Hz
Velocity
Head‐point Specific Forces Forces being felt at the head‐point (in G’s) 60 Hz
Load Torque Wheel torque due to external forces (in foot lbs.) 60 Hz
Num Grids Number of grids used for each contact patch Differential
Num Tires Number of tires on the vehicle (0 ‐10) 60 Hz
Steering Torque Backdrive Commanded steering wheel torque (in foot‐lbs.) 60 Hz
Tire Ground Contact The tire/terrain contact location (in feet) 60 Hz
Tire Rotational Velocity Tire rotational velocity (in degrees/second) 60 Hz
Tire Slip Angle Tire slip angle (in degrees) 60 Hz
Tire Slip Ratio Tire slip ratio (0.0 – 1.0 normalized) 60 Hz
Tire Weight on Wheels Tire weight on wheels (in lb. force) 60 Hz
Vehicle Engine RPM Vehicle engine revolutions per minute 60 Hz
Engine Torque Vehicle engine torque (in foot‐pounds) 60 Hz
Vehicle Heading Vehicle heading (in degrees) 60 Hz
Vehicle Speed Vehicle speed (in mph) 60 Hz


Vehicle Transmission RPM Vehicle transmission revolutions per minute 60 Hz
Vibration Forces Commanded vibration forces (in G’s) 60 Hz
Vehicle Center Heading Heading angle of wheel (in degrees) 60 Hz
Wheel Center Velocity Translational velocity of wheel center (in 60 Hz
feet/seconds)
Wheel Spin Wheel spin (in radians/second) 60 Hz
Wheel Spin Angle Rotational position of tire (in radians) 60 Hz
Wheel Steer Angle Road wheel angle (in radians) 60 Hz
2.6 NADS MiniSim™ Included Tiles and Databases
There are approximately 90 database tiles that are included with the system. These represent road
segments that can be assembled into custom databases of your own design using the NADS Tile Mosaic
Tool (TMT).
Also included are the following databases that have already been assembled and tested:
NADS TMT v1.2 installed databases
 demo : Databases developed for demonstration purposes
 nadsdemo_dsc: DSC conference demo
 nadsdemo_geospecific: Geo‐specific capabilities demo (West Liberty Racetrack)
 nadsdemo_kiosk: Outreach database; 3 separated databases on one terrain, cannot drive from
one to the other
 ESC_Dry_05: Rural 2 lane database developed to test electronic stability control; open‐loop
database with decreasing radius curve at north end of terrain
 ESC_HvyT: Combination rural, rural snow, freeway snow, freeway dry; open‐loop database
developed to test electronic stability control
 multipleEnv_01: Combination city, suburb, freeway, rural database developed to design and
evaluate levels of impairment
o day_night : Original study was night only, this version is not the same as the study
version due to changing the night version tiles with day tiles.
o snow : This version is not the same as the study version, the rural tiles are snow
covered, otherwise the same as the day_night version
o rural_long : Rural 2 lane, open‐loop database developed to test antihistamine response,
repurposed in other studies as well. Based on the original hmr/21fizer database; this
version is the same as the study version but renamed to facilitate distribution
3. Installation and Training
Installation of the simulators will be conducted by NADS staff members and NADS contractors. Layout
of the simulators in the room will be determined in conjunction with the Maritime Systems Pvt. Limited.
Note that the Maritime Systems Pvt. Limited will provide furniture and partitions.


Training will be provided on the MiniSim, the ISAT and the TMT software. The training will take
approximately 2 full days on site. The training will be hands‐on and will focus on activities that will be
commonly performed by the user:
 Turning on and off the driving simulator
 Configuration of initialization files
 Starting and stopping the simulator
 Selecting different scenarios
 Troubleshooting
 Maintenance procedures
 Procedures for getting help
 Installation of the ISAT on a PC
 How to modify and create scenarios using the ISAT™
 Receiving a NADS scenario through e‐mail and running it on the simulator
 Using the supplied daqConvert utility to convert the data files into ascii or Matlab formats
 Viewing the data file collected on the MiniSim in the ISAT tool
4. Support and Maintenance
The MiniSim software support contract is $6,000 per system for every year the customer possesses the
software. This entitles the customer to telephone and email assistance in using the MiniSim software,
and to periodic software updates on a schedule defined by NADS. This also entitles the user to
enhanced access to the MiniSim user’s website. The customer will be provided with a phone number
and e‐mail for contacting technical support. Personnel will be available for support during normal
business hours (8am‐5pm CST) Monday thru Friday (except University of Iowa holidays), and will
respond to requests within 24 hours.
Hardware support and repairs will be defined by NADS and provided at cost.
Software and hardware enhancements will be defined by NADS, and will be available for purchase and
installation on terms mutually agreed upon.



Figure 13: NADS MiniSim User’s WebSite


5. NADS History
The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) was created in 2001 by the United States Department
of Transportation as a world‐class research center located at The University of Iowa. NADS staff were a
sub‐contractor on the project to deliver the realtime simulation systems and virtual environments.
NADS is not a commercial enterprise – it is a not‐for‐profit organization.
5.1 Organization
The NADS organizational structure is as follows:
NADS F ACULTY GROUP NADS DIRECTOR

(NFG) Herm Reininga
COMPUTING AND WEB SUPPORT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR F INANCIAL & HR
Steve Cable Jeff Dolan Omar Ahmad Mary Bender
ACTIVE SAFETY, IMPAIRMENT,

VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS, DRIVER MODELING
GRAPHICS Dr. Timothy Brown
Shawn Allen
VISUALIZATION, DYNAMIC TERRAIN,
AUGMENTED REALITY
SIMULATOR OPERATIONS
Dr. Yefei He
Jeff Gordon
OLDER DRIVERS , MOBILITY,
NOVICE DRIVERS
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Dawn Marshall
David Heitbrink
DISTRACTION, TRAFFIC CULTURE
MAINTENANCE Dr. Jane Moeckli
Corey Kreutz
MOTION WASHOUT,
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Dr. Chris Schwarz
STUDY COORDINATION,
CLINICAL TRIALS
Sue Ellen Salisbury, CCRC
MINISIM, QUALITY ASSURANCE

Andrew Veit
The following personnel will be involved with this project:
Omar Ahmad
Omar Ahmad is a Senior Team Leader at the National Advanced Driving Simulator. Since 1992, his
analytical and research activities have focused on behavior modeling and scenario control in real‐time
virtual environments. Omar joined NADS in 1998 and is a part of the team that designed and developed
the scenario control and the real‐time virtual environment software for the NADS. Along with
performing program management activities, he is currently leading the virtual environment modeling
team at the NADS. As a kid, Omar lived in England and in Pakistan before coming to Iowa City at the age
of 10. Since then, he has called Iowa City his home and has received his education at the local schools
and the University. He enjoys home remodeling and learning how to the play the guitar.


Steve Cable
Steve Cable has eight years of audio experience and twelve years of practiced systems administration.
His academic and professional career have focused on positional audio, digital and analog recording
techniques, waveform analysis and platform integration, as well as network and systems programming.
Mr. Cable has logged well over eight thousand hours as the lead recording/mastering engineer for
hundreds of musical performers, both professional and student. He is also credited on several
commercial music releases, some of which have received critical acclaim. Particular areas of expertise
include multi‐track recording, PCM digital mastering, SimPhonics V+ positional audio flow design, and
real‐time immersive sound reproduction. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and
catching as many FA Premier League matches on TV as possible.
Jeff Dolan
Jeff Dolan has thirteen years of hardware engineering experience in a research atmosphere, 10 years in
space research and three years in vehicle simulation. Mr. Dolan designed and integrated many of the
electronic and electromechanical subsystems of a satellite‐based telescope. Mr. Dolan’s experience has
focused on electronics but also includes a great deal of mechanical design and integration. Particular
areas of expertise include microcontrollers, vehicle networks, audio and video, data acquisition, power
systems, motor control, and circuit design.
Yefei He
Yefei He is an associate research scientist at the National Advanced Driving Simulator. He received his
B.S. in computer science from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in
computer science from the University of Iowa. He has worked at NADS since 1998, initially as a student
research assistant. His areas of interest include computer graphics for driving simulation, visualization
and database management for off‐road driving simulation, PC‐based driving simulator software, terrain
database and scenario design tools, and autonomous vehicle behaviors for driving simulation. He is also
interested in photography, international cinema, foreign languages, and jazz and blues music.
David Heitbrink
David Heitbrink is a Software Engineer at the National Advanced Driving Simulator. His primary
responsibility is maintaining the scenario‐authoring tool, called ISAT. Mr. Heitbrink received his
Bachelors of Science from the University of Toledo in Computer Science and Engineering. He continued
to receive is Master of Science in Engineering at the University of Toledo in the spring of 2005. Mr.
Heitbrink is originally from Cincinnati and lived there until He moved to Toledo upon entering the
University of Toledo. Before coming to work at the National Advanced Driving Simulator, he had briefly
worked at Davis Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor Ohio, and for Alcoa Fujikura in San Antonio
Texas, primarily as a database developer at both positions. He also worked at the University of Toledo as
lab instructor, instructing students on UNIX systems programming and microsystem design.


Andrew Veit
Andrew Veit is the MiniSim Program Manager at the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS).
Besides his work with any and all things MiniSim, his responsibilities include developing motion
performance analysis and tracking methods, providing feedback on the effectiveness of system
improvements, and providing engineering support for maintenance activities. He has also engineered
components to improve NADS motion system performance and has overseen their installation. Prior to
joining the NADS, Mr. Veit had nine years of experience in the design and development of mechanical
test systems based on servo‐hydraulic and servo‐electric actuation technologies, test engineering, and
consulting. Mr. Veit was an employee of MTS Systems Corporation for six years doing product design
and development and custom test system design. His product development experience includes
mechanical and system design, EMC and safety compliance (CE mark and US/Canadian safety listing),
performance analysis, manufacturing support, and installation and training at customer sites
domestically and overseas. He was an employee of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) for three years
doing test engineering, project management, test system design, analysis, report writing, and consulting
for a diverse range of commercial and military clients (e.g. agricultural, biomedical, petroleum, ground
vehicle, and aerospace). Mr. Veit earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering at the
University of Iowa, where his thesis work was in fatigue and fracture mechanics. He is a registered
Professional Engineer in North Carolina. For fun, Andrew is a mentor for the U.S. FIRST robotics
competition for local high school students.
5.2 Past Simulator Projects
1. Truck Driving Simulator for a Swiss simulator company (Contraves AG). NADS supplied real‐time
software modules and off line tools. Integration was done at the customer site.


2. NADS MiniSim ¼ cab driving simulator supplied to the University of Washington in 2009. This
system included adaptive cruise control hardware and software.
3. NADS MiniSim ¼ cab driving simulator supplied to Michigan Technological University in 2009.


4. NADS MiniSim Heavy Truck Driving Simulator to the United Tribes Technical College in Bismark,
ND. This project required significant development, including visual and logical databases,
Matlab Simulink models of manual transmissions, an assessment module, and significant work
collecting audio samples. The system was also designed to be portable in its own trailer.


6. Optional Accessories
Video Data Acquisition System
A video acquisition system can be incorporated into the simulator as an option. A typical video
acquisition system consists of the following items:
 Four Video Cameras installed in the cab (face, hands, feet, and view out windshield)
 Quad‐split box
 Serial titler
 Video capture PC and software
The resulting image is shown below:
Figure 14: Quad‐split image
The serial titler is used to overlay select system variable onto one of the video images. Possible data
include the participant ID, run ID, date, time, speed, and frame number. The quad‐split signal is fed to a
video capture card in a PC and saved to disk. The recording of the quad‐split video is started and
stopped with the simulator states.


Intercom
An intercom can be integrated into the simulator at additional cost to provide communications between
the operator and the participant in the cab. A typical system from Clearcom consists of the following:
 PLpro MS‐704 Four‐channel main station
 KB‐702 Speaker station
 HB‐702 Remote headset station
 RS‐601 Beltpacks Qty. 3
 CC‐26K‐X4 Headsets Qty. 3
 IC‐50 50ft 3‐pin XLR cable
Figure 15: Intercom System


7. Cost Proposal
The following costs represent the simulator cost, Free On‐Board (F.O.B.) Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Applicable shipping, taxes, customs and import duties are not included.
Description Cost, US$
Heavy ‐ Truck MiniSim Simulator $ 55,000 ea
Heavy Truck Model
Quarter cab
42" LCD /PlasmaDisplays
MiniSim PC
MiniSim Software
Existing Heavy‐Truck Scenarios
1/4‐Cab MiniSim Driving Simulator $ 55,000 ea
Car, SUV, Pickup Truck Models
Quarter cab
42" LCD/Plasma Displays
MiniSim PC
MiniSim Software
Existing Safe‐Driver Training Scenarios
MiniSim Software Support (per year, per system) $ 10,000 ea
Installation and Training TBD
Description Cost, US$
Visual Training Environment Development TBD
Dependant on Customer Requirements TBD
Additional Training Scenarios with Evaluation TBD
Dependant on Customer Requirements
Video Capture System with Quad‐Split $ 22,000 ea
Onset Motion Cueing Motion Base $ 20,000 ea
Pitch/Surge Combined Motion
6 DOF Motion System (hexapod) $ 100,000 ea
Intercom System $ 14,000 ea
*Note: Specifications subject to change at NADS discretion due to technology advancements
Please contact us for details about payment terms before sending a PO:
A sample software transfer agreement is attached for your information; the actual agreement will
originate from the UI Research Foundation if you choose to move forward with the purchase.
Also attached is a sample research contract that would cover the MiniSim hardware; the actual contract
will originate from the UI if you choose to move forward with the purchase.
For more information, please contact:
Andrew Veit, (319) 335‐4361, andrew‐veit@uiowa.edu



NADS MaritimeSystemsPvtLtd

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National Advanced Driving Simulator

Motion Washout Custom Functions

Touchpad Steering & Instruments

Driver Input Variables Definition and Units Collection

Collision Detection Definition and Units Collection

Scenario Variables Definition and Units Collection

Vehicle Dynamics Definition and Units Collection

NADS F ACULTY GROUP NADS DIRECTOR

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