Driver training
A autonomous and semi-autonomous driver training system for presenting a user of the system with simultaneous representation of a driving environment directed to four active visual zones comprising a driver's forward view, rear mirror view, and respective left and right side mirror views; for displaying movement of an object moving through one of the four active visual zones; determining if the movement of the object requires resumption of driver control; and determining if driver control was resumed.
1. A driving simulator for assessing and improving autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle driving skills comprising:
a computerized audio/visual device programmed to:
display an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver's-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver's forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver's forward view includes a combined representation of a driver's side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger's window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver's forward view;
display movement of an object moving through one of the four active visual zones;
determine if the movement of the object requires resumption of driver control; and
determine if driver control was resumed.
2. The driving simulator of claim 1 wherein the computerized audio/visual device is programmed to:
record whether driver control was resumed;
record a response time for the resumption of driver control;
create a database for storing whether driver control was resumed and the response time; and
analyze whether driver control was resumed and the response time to develop a diagnostic assessment of visual cognition, visual memory, or visual recall abilities.
3. The driving simulator of claim 1 , wherein the interactive driving simulation is presented using digital frame based technology.
4. The driving simulator of claim 1 wherein the forward view provides a view of at least about 180 degrees.
5. The driving simulator of claim 1 wherein the computerized audio/visual device is programmed to assess hazard detection, spacing between vehicles, or escape route determination.
6. A computerized audio/visual driving simulator method for assessing and improving autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle driving skills comprising:
displaying an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver's-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver's forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver's forward view includes a combined representation of a driver's side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger's window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver's forward view;
displaying movement of an object moving through one of the four active visual zones;
determining if the movement of the object requires resumption of driver control; and
determining if driver control was resumed.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:
recording whether driver control was resumed;
recording a response time for the resumption of driver control;
creating a database for storing whether driver control was resumed and the response time; and
analyzing whether driver control was resumed and the response time to develop a diagnostic assessment of visual cognition, visual memory, or visual recall abilities.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive driving simulation is presented using digital frame based technology.
9. The method of claim 6 comprising assessing visual search skills, visual memory, and visual recall using the response and response time.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the forward view provides a view of at least about 180 degrees.
11. A driving simulator for assessing and improving interaction with an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising:
a computerized audio/visual device programmed to:
display an interactive driving simulation presented through four active visual zones from a driver's-seat perspective comprising (1) a driver's forward view, (2) a rear mirror view, (3) a left side mirror view, and (4) a right side mirror view, wherein the driver's forward view includes a combined representation of a driver's side window view, a windshield view, and a passenger's window view, and wherein the rear mirror view, left side mirror view, and right side mirror view each simultaneously depict a scene occurring simultaneously with the driver's forward view;
display movement of a vehicle moving through one of the four active visual zones and one of two inactive zones representing a left blind spot and a right blind spot;
track the location of the vehicle in the active visual zones or inactive zones;
stop the interactive driving simulation;
display a graphic multi-zone screen, wherein each zone of the multi-zone screen represents one of the driver's forward view, the rear mirror view, the left side mirror view, the right side mirror view, the left blind spot, and the right blind spot respectively;
display a prompt to identify the zone of the multi-zone screen in which the vehicle was located when the interactive driving simulation was stopped;
determine if a response to the prompt was correct; and
determine a response time to the prompt.