Simulator, simulator control method, and computer program

Abstract

To sufficiently enhance an effect of education using a simulator performed on a user.SOLUTION: A simulator comprises: an image display unit that displays images; a movement instruction input unit into which a movement instruction by a user is input; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to execute first image display processing of causing the image display unit to display a user viewpoint image being a video image representing, in a simulative manner, a field of view of the user moving on a virtual course in accordance with the movement instruction. The control unit is further configured to execute second image display processing of causing the image display unit to display a third person viewpoint image being a video image representing, in a simulative manner, a virtual field of view of the third person seeing the user moving on the virtual course.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a simulator, a simulator control method, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, when driving a car, a driver may encounter a situation where it is necessary to veer into the oncoming lane in order to pass by a car parked on the road or a moving bicycle (hereinafter referred to as an "object to be avoided"). In such a case, there is a possibility that the oncoming vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane may apply the brakes or have a close call, but the driver may not be aware of this. On the other hand, if the driver is in the position of an oncoming vehicle, there may be a situation where the way the other vehicle avoids the object to be avoided causes a close call. If the driver can observe the way he or she drives to avoid the object to be avoided from a third-party perspective as the driver of an oncoming vehicle, he or she can objectively grasp the way he or she drives, which may have a positive effect on future driving behavior.

[0003] A viewpoint switching technology has been proposed in the past that uses a camera to capture the surroundings of a moving object while it is moving, estimates the viewpoint position and viewing direction of a person in the captured image, and generates a third-party viewpoint image seen from that viewpoint position and viewing direction, making it possible to confirm how the moving object appears to people around the moving object (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-169042 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above conventional technology uses images of actual traffic conditions captured by a camera. Therefore, it takes time from the actual driving to observing the third-person perspective image. In addition, since the traffic conditions and the judgments of other traffic participants are limited to the real ones, it is not possible to reproduce various variations in the traffic conditions and the judgments of other traffic participants. As a result, when applied to, for example, driving education, the educational effect cannot be sufficiently improved.

[0006] It should be noted that such issues are not limited to situations where a person travels by driving a car, but are also common issues when a person travels by driving a vehicle other than a car or when a person travels on foot.

[0007] This specification discloses a technique that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized, for example, in the following forms.

[0009] (1) A simulator disclosed in this specification includes an image display unit that displays an image, a movement instruction input unit to which a movement instruction from a user is input, and a control unit. The control unit executes a first image display process that causes the image display unit to display a user viewpoint image, which is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the user moving along a virtual course in accordance with the movement instruction, and a second image display process that causes the image display unit to display a third person viewpoint image, which is a moving image that simulates the field of view of a virtual third person watching the user moving along the virtual course.

[0010] In this simulator, since the second image display process for displaying a third-person viewpoint image is executed, the user can objectively grasp the way of moving, and a positive effect can be given to the user's moving behavior. In addition, in this simulator, the third-person viewpoint image is not generated based on an image captured by a camera of the actual moving situation, but a third-person viewpoint image is used, which is a moving image that simulates the field of view of a virtual third person watching the user moving on a virtual course. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a time lag from the moving experience in the first image display process to the observation of the third-person viewpoint image in the second image display process. In addition, it is possible to reproduce a variety of variations in the traffic situation and the judgment of other traffic participants. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently improve the educational effect for the user.

[0011] (2) In the simulator, the control unit may be configured to execute the second image display process after executing the first image display process. With this configuration, in the second image display process, the user can carefully observe a third-person perspective image, and the educational effect on the user can be further improved.

[0012] (3) In the above simulator, the user viewpoint image may be a moving image simulating the field of view of the user who drives the user vehicle. This configuration allows the user to objectively understand his / her driving style, which has a positive effect on the user's driving behavior.

[0013] (4) In the above simulator, the third-party viewpoint image may be a moving image simulating the field of view of the third person driving an opposing moving object moving in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the user's moving object. This configuration allows the user to understand his / her own driving style from the viewpoint of the driver of the opposing moving object, which can have a positive effect on the user's driving behavior.

[0014] (5) In the above simulator, the virtual course may be configured to be a course in which an avoidance object exists on the traveling course of the user's moving body, and the user's moving body needs to extend onto the traveling course of the oncoming moving body in order to avoid the avoidance object. With this configuration, it is possible to virtually reproduce a traffic situation in which it is relatively difficult to judge driving behavior, and it is possible to further effectively enhance the educational effect for the user.

[0015] (6) In the above simulator, the third-party viewpoint image may be a moving image simulating the field of view of the third person driving a parallel moving object moving in the same direction as the moving direction of the user moving object. This configuration allows the user to understand how he or she drives from the viewpoint of the driver of the parallel moving object, which has a positive effect on the user's driving behavior.

[0016] (7) In the above simulator, the virtual course may be configured such that the parallel moving body exists as an avoidance object on the traveling course of the user's moving body, and the user's moving body needs to extend onto an adjacent traveling course in order to avoid the avoidance object. With this configuration, it is possible to virtually reproduce a traffic situation in which it is relatively difficult to judge driving behavior, and it is possible to further effectively enhance the effect of educating the user.

[0017] (8) In the simulator, the control unit may be configured to execute a third image display process to cause the image display unit to display a recommended route image showing a route that the user should take in the virtual course from a safety standpoint. This configuration allows the user to understand the recommended route, and further effectively enhances the educational effect on the user.

[0018] The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a simulator, a control method for the simulator, a computer program for realizing the method, a non-transitory recording medium on which the computer program is recorded, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic external configuration of a driving simulator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of a driving simulator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] An explanatory diagram showing an example of a virtual course VC [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user viewpoint image UVI. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of control processing of the driving simulator 100. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a first question screen QI1. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a third-party viewpoint image (OVI); [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a second question screen QI2. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a comprehensive judgment method; [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of a third-party viewpoint image OVI. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram showing the results of this experiment. [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram showing the results of this experiment. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram showing the results of this experiment. [Figure 14] An explanatory diagram showing the results of this experiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] A. Embodiment: A-1. Configuration of the driving simulator 100: Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic external configuration of a driving simulator 100 in this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram that shows a schematic functional configuration of the driving simulator 100 in this embodiment. The driving simulator 100 is a device that allows a user (driver) US to virtually experience driving a car by using images and sounds. The driving simulator 100 is an example of a simulator.

[0021] The driving simulator 100 includes a screen 144, a projector 142, a speaker 146, a steering wheel 152, one or more pedals 154, a head mounted device 160, and a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC") 110. These components constituting the driving simulator 100 are connected to each other via a wired or wireless network or the like so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0022] Screen 144 is a display surface installed in front, beside, behind, below, etc. of driver's seat 102 installed in housing 104 simulating an automobile. Projector 142 is a device that projects image light representing an image toward screen 144. Projector 142 projects image light, thereby displaying an image on screen 144. The image displayed on screen 144 may be a 3D image or a 2D image. Screen 144 and projector 142 are examples of an image display unit.

[0023] In this embodiment, a user viewpoint image UVI, which is a moving image simulating the field of view of a user US when the user US drives an automobile (user vehicle) UV and travels along a virtual course VC, is used as one of the images displayed on the screen 144. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the virtual course VC, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the user viewpoint image UVI. The user vehicle UV is an example of a user moving body.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the virtual course VC is, for example, a straight road with one lane on each side with a center line CL. A parked vehicle PV exists on the own lane UL, which is the driving course of the user vehicle UV on the virtual course VC. In order to avoid the parked vehicle PV, the user vehicle UV needs to take a driving route IP that extends onto the oncoming lane OL, which is the driving course of the oncoming vehicle OCV. The parked vehicle PV is an example of an object to be avoided, and the oncoming vehicle OCV is an example of an oncoming moving object.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4, the user viewpoint image UVI is a moving image simulating the field of view of a user US driving a user vehicle UV and traveling along a virtual course VC. The user viewpoint image UVI changes over time and in response to the driving operation of the user US. The user viewpoint image UVI includes, for example, an image of a part of the driver's seat of the user vehicle UV, an image of a parked vehicle PV, an image of an oncoming vehicle OCV, and the like.

[0026] Speaker 146 (FIG. 1) is a device that outputs sound. Sounds that are output from speaker 146 include sounds that mimic the sound of a car running. Steering wheel 152 and pedals 154 are devices that mimic the steering wheel and pedals (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, etc.) of an actual car, and receive movement instructions (simulated driving operations) from user US seated in driver's seat 102. Steering wheel 152 and pedals 154 are an example of a movement instruction input unit to which movement instructions from user US are input.

[0027] The head mounted device 160 is a glasses-type device that is worn on the head of the user US. The head mounted device 160 is a known device that allows the user US to view a 3D image. Note that, when the image displayed by the projector 142 and the screen 144 is a 2D image, the head mounted device 160 may be omitted.

[0028] The PC 110 is a device that controls the operation of each part of the driving simulator 100. The PC 110 includes a control unit 111, a storage unit 116, and an operation unit 118. The operation unit 118 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and accepts various instructions from an administrator.

[0029] The storage unit 116 of the PC 110 is configured with, for example, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and is used to store various data and programs, and as a work area for executing various programs and a temporary storage area for data. For example, the storage unit 116 stores user-viewpoint image data UVId representing the above-mentioned user-viewpoint image UVI.

[0030] The control unit 111 of the PC 110 is configured by, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each unit of the driving simulator 100 by executing a program read from the storage unit 116. The control unit 111 specifies the position and orientation of the user vehicle UV on the above-mentioned virtual course VC based on, for example, the state (steering angle) of the steering wheel 152 and the state (depression amount) of the pedal 154, reads user viewpoint image data UVId representing a user viewpoint image UVI associated with the specified position and orientation from the storage unit 116, and supplies it to the projector 142. As a result, the user viewpoint image UVI corresponding to the operation of the steering wheel 152 and the pedal 154 by the user US is displayed on the screen 144 by the projector 142. The control unit 111 also specifies the speed, acceleration, etc. of the vehicle based on the state of the steering wheel 152 and the state of the pedal 154, reads audio data representing audio associated with the specified speed, acceleration, etc. from the storage unit 116, and supplies it to the speaker 146. As a result, driving sounds and the like corresponding to the operation of the steering wheel 152 or pedals 154 by the user US are output from the speaker 146. By controlling the driving simulator 100 in this manner by the control unit 111, the user US can virtually experience the situation of driving an automobile.

[0031] A-2. Control process of the driving simulator 100: Next, a description will be given of the control process of the driving simulator 100 by the control unit 111 of the PC 110. FIG 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the control process of the driving simulator 100.

[0032] First, the control unit 111 of the PC 110 executes a driving simulation process (S110). The driving simulation process is a process that allows the user US to have a virtual experience of driving the user vehicle UV along a virtual course VC. The user US virtually drives the user vehicle UV by operating the steering wheel 152 and pedals 154 provided on the driving simulator 100 while visually checking the user viewpoint image UVI displayed on the screen 144. The driving simulation process is an example of a first image display process.

[0033] As described above, a parked vehicle PV exists on the own lane UL in the virtual course VC (FIG. 3), and the user's vehicle UV needs to take a driving route IP that strays into the oncoming lane OL to avoid the parked vehicle PV. In this case, the user US needs to determine which driving action to take, depending on the relationship with the oncoming vehicle OCV traveling on the oncoming lane OL, whether to overtake the parked vehicle PV before passing the oncoming vehicle OCV, or to wait in front of the parked vehicle PV and overtake the parked vehicle PV after passing the oncoming vehicle OCV. The user US may perform multiple driving (trials) of the virtual course VC. In addition, the driving timing of the oncoming vehicle OCV may be different in each trial. In this way, the user US can experience driving in various traffic conditions.

[0034] Next, the control unit 111 of the PC 110 acquires the first evaluation result (S120). Specifically, the control unit 111 displays on the screen 144 a first question screen QI1 for the user US to self-evaluate the driving behavior of the user US in the driving simulation process executed in S110, and acquires an answer from the user US. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the first question screen QI1. The first question screen QI1 includes a plurality of questions for the user US to self-evaluate the driving behavior in the driving simulation process. The control unit 111 acquires an answer from the user US for each question item, and judges the driving behavior, for example, in two stages (pass (◯) or fail (×)) based on the answer and a predetermined judgment criterion. The answer input by the user US is executed using a predetermined input device (for example, the steering wheel 152 or the pedal 154).

[0035] Next, the control unit 111 of the PC 110 executes a third-person viewpoint replay process (S130). The third-person viewpoint replay process is a process for displaying on the screen 144 a third-person viewpoint image OVI that reproduces the behavior of the user vehicle UV traveling on the virtual course VC in the driving simulation process of S110. The third-person viewpoint image OVI is a moving image that simulates the field of view of a virtual third person looking at the user vehicle UV traveling on the virtual course VC. In this embodiment, a moving image that simulates the field of view of the driver of the oncoming vehicle OCV is used as the third-person viewpoint image OVI. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the third-person viewpoint image OVI. The third-person viewpoint image OVI includes, for example, an image of a part of the driver's seat of the oncoming vehicle OCV, an image of the parked vehicle PV, an image of the user vehicle UV, and the like. The user US can objectively grasp his / her own driving behavior by observing the third-person viewpoint image OVI. However, in this embodiment, the user US is not informed that the third-person viewpoint image OVI is a replay of his / her own driving behavior at the execution stage of the third-person viewpoint replay process. The third person perspective replay process is an example of a second image display process.

[0036] Next, the control unit 111 of the PC 110 acquires the second evaluation result (S140). Specifically, the control unit 111 displays on the screen 144 a second question screen QI2 for evaluating the driving behavior of the user vehicle UV (however, the user US does not recognize it as the user vehicle UV) in the third-person perspective replay process executed in S130, and acquires an answer from the user US. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the second question screen QI2. The second question screen QI2 includes a plurality of question items for objectively evaluating the driving behavior of the user vehicle UV in the third-person perspective replay process. The control unit 111 acquires an answer from the user US for each question item, and judges the driving behavior, for example, in two stages (pass (◯) or fail (×)) based on the answer and a predetermined judgment criterion.

[0037] Next, the control unit 111 of the PC 110 performs a comprehensive judgment on the driving behavior of the user US based on the first evaluation result acquired in S120 and the second evaluation result acquired in S140 (S150). FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a comprehensive judgment method. For example, when both the first evaluation (self-evaluation) and the second evaluation (third-party viewpoint evaluation) are passed (◯), the control unit 111 judges the driving behavior as excellent (◎) overall, and when both the first evaluation and the second evaluation are failed (×), the control unit 111 judges the driving behavior as failed (×) overall. Furthermore, when the first evaluation was failed (×) but the second evaluation was passed (◯), the control unit 111 judges the driving behavior as passed (◯) overall because it was subjectively recognized as unsafe but objectively recognized as safe. On the other hand, if the first evaluation is pass (◯) but the second evaluation is fail (×), the control unit 111 judges the overall evaluation to be not good (△), since it is subjectively recognized as safe but objectively unsafe.

[0038] The control unit 111 of the PC 110 outputs the overall judgment result in S150 (S160). For example, the control unit 111 causes an image showing the overall judgment result to be displayed on the screen 144. This allows the user US to recognize the judgment result of his / her driving behavior. At this time, the user US may be informed that the third-person viewpoint image OVI displayed in the third-person viewpoint replay process was a replay of the user US's driving behavior. This allows the user US to be made aware of his / her own driving behavior.

[0039] A-3. Advantages of this embodiment: As described above, the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment includes the projector 142 and screen 144 for displaying images, the steering wheel 152 and pedals 154 to which movement instructions from the user US are input, and the control unit 111 of the PC 110. The control unit 111 executes a driving simulation process for displaying on the screen 144 a user viewpoint image UVI, which is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the user US who drives the user vehicle UV and moves along the virtual course VC in accordance with the movement instructions from the user US. The control unit 111 also executes a third-party viewpoint replay process for displaying on the screen 144 a third-party viewpoint image OVI, which is a moving image that simulates the field of view of a virtual third party (a third party driving an oncoming vehicle OCV moving in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the user vehicle UV) who watches the user US moving along the virtual course VC.

[0040] In this way, in the driving simulator 100 of the present embodiment, a third-person viewpoint replay process that displays a third-person viewpoint image OVI is executed, so that the user US can objectively grasp his / her driving manner, and a positive effect can be given to the driving behavior of the user US. In addition, in the driving simulator 100 of the present embodiment, a third-person viewpoint image is not generated based on an image captured by a camera of an actual moving situation, but a third-person viewpoint image OVI that is a moving image that simulates the field of view of a virtual third person watching the user US moving on the virtual course VC is used. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a time lag from the driving experience in the driving simulation process to the observation of the third-person viewpoint image OVI in the third-person viewpoint replay process. In addition, it is possible to reproduce various variations in the traffic situation and the judgment of other traffic participants. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently improve the educational effect on the user US.

[0041] In addition, in the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment, the control unit 111 executes a third-person viewpoint replay process after executing a driving simulation process. Therefore, according to the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment, in the third-person viewpoint replay process, the user US can carefully observe the third-person viewpoint image OVI, and the educational effect for the user US can be further effectively improved.

[0042] Moreover, the virtual course VC used in the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment is set as a course in which a parked vehicle PV exists as an object to be avoided on the own lane UL, which is the traveling course of the user vehicle UV, and the user vehicle UV needs to protrude into the oncoming lane OL, which is the traveling course of the oncoming vehicle OCV, in order to avoid the parked vehicle PV. Therefore, according to the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to virtually reproduce a traffic situation in which it is relatively difficult to judge driving behavior, and it is possible to further effectively enhance the educational effect for the user US.

[0043] B. Working Example: As an example for verifying the educational effect of the driving simulator 100 of this embodiment, an experiment described below was carried out. Participants: 21 participants in total, 11 men (mean age = 45.91 years, SD = 4.046) and 10 women (mean age = 34.80 years, SD = 3.454), aged between 21 and 69, who hold a driver's license, drive a car on a daily basis, and are not prone to motion sickness or screen sickness (3D motion sickness). - Experiment location: Research facility at Nagoya University -Experiment date and time: 8 days from January 27 to February 16, 2022 -Experimental equipment: UC-win / Road immersive driving simulator made by FORUM8 Co., Ltd. (A simulator that can reproduce the driving conditions of a car using virtual reality images (4K resolution front, rear, left, right, bottom projection CAVE system), sound, and acceleration generated by 6-axis motion)

[0044] First, the driving simulator was made to execute the above-mentioned driving simulation process. As shown in FIG. 3, a straight road with one lane on each side and a center line CL was set as the virtual course VC. The lane width was set to 3.5 m, the vehicle width of each vehicle (user's vehicle UV, oncoming vehicle OCV, parked vehicle PV) was set to 1.8 m, and the speed of the oncoming vehicle OCV was set to a constant 40 km / h. One trial was set to 300 m per section, and each participant drove 12 trials in a row. The first part of each trial was in automatic driving mode (automatically driving in the center of the own lane UL at 40 km / h), and a number (trial number) appeared at the top of the front screen at the same time as an audible signal, and the driving operation of the experimental participant (user US) was switched to the participant's own operation, and at the end of the driving of one trial, the driving operation was switched back to automatic driving again. This was repeated. For each section, a parked vehicle PV was placed on the left side of the own lane UL, and the participant was given the driving experience of passing by a total of 12 parked vehicles PV. At that time, the setting was made so that the oncoming vehicle OCV would drive at various times. After completing the 12 trials, each participant reviewed the first driving simulation process and evaluated their own driving.

[0045] Next, the driving simulator was made to execute the above-mentioned third-person viewpoint replay process. That is, a third-person viewpoint image OVI, which is a moving image simulating the field of view of the driver of the oncoming vehicle OCV, was displayed. The participants viewed the third-person viewpoint image OVI while riding in the driving simulator. The third-person viewpoint image OVI was made into four moving images simulating the field of view of the driver of the oncoming vehicle OCV looking at a car passing by the parked vehicle PV. Here, among the four third-person viewpoint images OVI, the first to third images were randomly presented as images prepared in advance, and the fourth image was a replay image of one trial (the trial judged to be the most unsafe) out of the 12 trials of the experiment conducted by the participant himself. For each third-person viewpoint image OVI, the participant was asked to evaluate the behavior of the car, etc.

[0046] In this experiment, participants were divided into two groups (10 participants in the information disclosure group and 9 participants in the post-information disclosure group). The information disclosure group was told that the fourth image was an image of the participant driving. The post-information disclosure group was not told anything.

[0047] Finally, the participants again drove 12 consecutive trials in the same way as above, and after completing the trials, they were asked to evaluate their own driving. After the experiment was over, the post-information group was also told that the fourth image was an image of the participant driving.

[0048] In addition, this experiment adopted deception. In normal driving, the only way to guess the timing of the driver's passing is to observe the behavior of vehicles other than the driver's own, and in order to reproduce this, it was necessary to take a method that would not reveal that it was the driver's own driving, and to avoid the subject being preoccupied by informing them of the original purpose, it was necessary to reproduce normal driving as much as possible. Therefore, the experimental title and purpose explained in advance were fictitious and different from the original purpose. After the experiment, the original purpose and the reason why the false explanation was necessary were carefully explained in the debriefing.

[0049] The images to be played in the third-person view replay process were prepared in advance as follows. That is, using the driving data of 24 trials in which the experimenter drove the virtual course VC in various patterns, the seating position was moved to the driver's seat of the oncoming vehicle OCV, and the state of the experimental vehicle passing beside the parked vehicle PV was saved in video format. After discussion among the experimenters, the 24 replay videos were classified into those in which the vehicle overtook the parked vehicle PV before the oncoming vehicle OCV approached, those in which the vehicle waited until the oncoming vehicle OCV passed, those in which the vehicle overtook the parked vehicle PV at a slow speed, those in which the timing of overtaking the parked vehicle PV was poor, and those in which the vehicle returned to its own lane after overtaking the parked vehicle PV was slow. Seven replay videos were selected from the group and participants were asked to evaluate the following four questions using a four-point scale (38 participants, 30 of whom were license holders): "The speed adjustment was made with consideration for the oncoming vehicle," "The steering operation was made with consideration for the oncoming vehicle," "The driving made the driver want to apply the brakes without thinking," and "Overall, the driver of the oncoming vehicle drove safely." Each replay video was about 15 seconds long. A cluster analysis was performed using the evaluation values ​​(Ward method), and three replay videos were selected based on the characteristics of each cluster.

[0050] 11 to 14 are explanatory diagrams showing the results of this experiment. In this experiment, the driver of the user vehicle UV (experiment participant) is considered to select either to overtake the parked vehicle PV before the oncoming vehicle OCV passes the position of the parked vehicle PV, or to wait for the oncoming vehicle OCV to pass the position of the parked vehicle PV and overtake the parked vehicle PV after the oncoming vehicle OCV has passed the position. Depending on the timing of this overtaking, it is considered that the oncoming vehicle OCV may apply the brakes or have a close call. In this experiment, this timing was examined by calculating the distance between the vehicles. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, in the driving simulator's driving record data, the distance from the front end of the user vehicle UV to the rear end of the parked vehicle PV at the point of the first log where the brake pedal depression amount became maximum was set to D1. Also, as shown in FIG. 12, in the driving simulator's driving record data, the distance from the front end of the user vehicle UV to the front end of the oncoming vehicle OCV at the point where the user vehicle UV and the parked vehicle PV were side by side was set to D3. If the distance D3 is positive, it indicates that the user's vehicle UV has passed the oncoming vehicle OCV after overtaking the parked vehicle PV. This running is counted as "overtaking ahead." If the distance D3 is negative, it indicates that the user's vehicle UV has passed the oncoming vehicle OCV after overtaking the parked vehicle PV. This running is counted as "waiting to pass."

[0051] As shown in Figure 11, for distance D1, in the information disclosure group, the distance D1 was significantly longer during the second drive compared to the first drive. It can be seen that during the second drive, the braking operation was performed at a position closer to the parked vehicle PV. Also, as shown in Figure 12, for distance D3, in both the information disclosure group and the information post group, the distance D3 during the second drive was significantly reduced compared to the first drive. In particular, the reduction in distance D3 was remarkable in the information disclosure group. It can be said that there was an increase in the number of situations where the option to wait for the vehicle to pass was chosen during the second drive.

[0052] Figures 13 and 14 show the differences between overtaking and waiting for vehicles to pass during the first and second runs. In both the information disclosure group and the information disclosure group, the number of overtaking attempts during the second run decreased, and the number of attempts to wait for vehicles to pass increased.

[0053] From the results shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 14, it can be said that the driving simulator of this embodiment can sufficiently improve the educational effect for the user US.

[0054] C. Variations: The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0055] The configuration of the driving simulator 100 in the above embodiment is merely an example and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the above embodiment, the driving simulator 100 includes the front projection type projector 142 that projects image light from the front side of the screen 144, but the driving simulator 100 may include a rear projection type projector that projects image light from the rear side of the screen 144. Furthermore, the driving simulator 100 may include other types of image display devices such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the PC 110 is used to control the operation of the driving simulator 100. However, the device used to control the operation of the driving simulator 100 is not limited to the PC 110, and may be another type of computer.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the driving simulator 100 having the housing 104 including the driver's seat 102 is used as a simulator that provides the user US with a virtual driving experience, but other simulators may be used. Examples of such other simulators include VR goggles.

[0058] Furthermore, the contents of the control process (FIG. 5) in the above embodiment are merely an example, and some steps in the process may be omitted, the contents may be changed, or the order of steps may be changed. For example, in the control process of the above embodiment, the driving simulation process (S110) may be executed again after the third person perspective replay process (S130). Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the third person perspective replay process is executed after the driving simulation process, but the third person perspective replay process may be executed in parallel with the driving simulation process.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an image display process (third image display process) may be executed to display on the screen 144 a recommended route image showing a travel route that the user US should take from the viewpoint of safety in the virtual course VC. The generation of the recommended route can be realized by a known method disclosed in, for example, JP 2023-55557 A. The recommended route image may be an image that actually displays the recommended route as a route, or may be an image that displays the recommended route as a so-called ghost.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the third-party viewpoint image OVI is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the driver of the oncoming vehicle OCV looking at the user vehicle UV traveling on the virtual course VC, but other images may be used as the third-party viewpoint image OVI. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the third-party viewpoint image OVI. The left column of FIG. 10 shows an example of a user viewpoint image UVI. The center column of FIG. 10 shows a modified example of the third-party viewpoint image OVI corresponding to the user viewpoint image UVI. In this modified example, the third-party viewpoint image OVI is a moving image seen from a viewpoint that observes the user vehicle UV from behind in a bird's-eye view. In addition, the right column of FIG. 10 shows another modified example of the third-party viewpoint image OVI corresponding to the user viewpoint image UVI. In this modified example, the third-party viewpoint image OVI is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the driver of a vehicle following the user vehicle UV (a parallel moving body that moves in the same direction as the moving direction of the user vehicle UV). In addition, the third-party viewpoint image OVI may be a moving image of the user vehicle UV viewed from diagonally behind, or a moving image of the user vehicle UV viewed from a bird's-eye view. In this way, the viewpoint of the third-party viewpoint image OVI does not necessarily have to be that of a car driver, but may be that of a driver of another moving body such as a bicycle, kick scooter, or senior car, or it may be the viewpoint of a pedestrian, or it may be a virtual viewpoint other than that of a human.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the object to be avoided is the parked vehicle PV, but the object to be avoided may be another object such as a bicycle or a pedestrian. In this case, the viewpoint of the third-party viewpoint image OVI may be the viewpoint of the object to be avoided. In addition, the virtual course VC may be a course in which a parallel moving object exists as an object to be avoided on the traveling course of the user's vehicle UV, and the user's vehicle UV needs to extend onto an adjacent traveling course in order to avoid the object to be avoided.

[0062] The virtual course VC used in the above embodiment is merely an example and can be modified in various ways. For example, it is not always necessary for an object to be avoided or an oncoming vehicle OCV to exist on the virtual course VC.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the driving simulator is used for educating the user US, but the driving simulator may also be used for training the user US. For example, the movement trajectory of the user US may be displayed as a so-called ghost, and a moving image may be displayed in which the ghost (= the user up until that moment) who continues driving without stopping is run over at an intersection or causes a traffic accident. This is expected to reduce the frequency of the behavior of "not stopping" because the behavior of "not stopping" is met with an aversive stimulus of "being run over or causing a traffic accident." This corresponds to "positive punishment." By carrying out such processing, training of the user US can be realized.

[0064] In the above embodiment, a driving simulator that provides the user US with the experience of driving a car and moving around a virtual course has been used as an example. However, the technology disclosed in this specification is similarly applicable to simulators that provide the experience of driving a moving object other than a car and moving around a virtual course, and simulators that provide the experience of moving around a virtual course on foot.

[0065] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 100: Driving simulator 102: Driver's seat 104: Housing 110: Personal computer 111: Control unit 116: Memory unit 118: Operation unit 142: Projector 144: Screen 146: Speaker 152: Steering wheel 154: Pedal 160: Head mounted device IP: Driving route OCV: Oncoming vehicle OL: Oncoming lane OVI: Third person perspective image PV: Parked vehicle QI1: First question screen QI2: Second question screen UL: Own lane US: User UV: User's vehicle UVI: User's perspective image UVId: User's perspective image data VC: Virtual course

Claims

1. A simulator comprising: an image display unit for displaying an image; a movement instruction input unit to which a movement instruction from a user is input; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit is a first image display process for displaying, on the image display unit, a user viewpoint image which is a moving image simulating a field of view of the user moving along a virtual course in accordance with the movement instruction; a second image display process for displaying on the image display unit a third-party viewpoint image, which is a moving image simulating a field of view of a virtual third person watching the user moving along the virtual course; Run the simulator.

2. The simulator of claim 1, The control unit executes the first image display process and then executes the second image display process.

3. The simulator according to claim 1 or 2, The user's viewpoint image is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the user who is driving a user vehicle.

4. The simulator according to claim 3, A simulator in which the third-party viewpoint image is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the third person driving an opposing moving object moving in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the user's moving object.

5. The simulator according to claim 4, A simulator in which the virtual course is a course in which an avoidance object exists on the traveling course of the user's moving body, and the user's moving body needs to stray onto the traveling course of the opposing moving body in order to avoid the avoidance object.

6. The simulator according to claim 3, A simulator in which the third-party viewpoint image is a moving image that simulates the field of view of the third person driving a parallel moving object that moves in the same direction as the direction of movement of the user moving object.

7. The simulator according to claim 6, A simulator in which the virtual course is a course in which the parallel moving body exists as an object to be avoided on the running course of the user moving body, and the user moving body needs to extend onto an adjacent running course in order to avoid the object to be avoided.

8. The simulator according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit executes a third image display process for causing the image display unit to display a recommended route image indicating a travel route that the user should take in the virtual course from a safety standpoint.

9. A method for controlling a simulator including an image display unit that displays an image and a movement instruction input unit to which a movement instruction is input by a user, comprising: a first image display step of displaying, on the image display unit, a user viewpoint image which is a moving image simulating a field of view of the user moving along a virtual course in accordance with the movement instruction; a second image display step of displaying on the image display unit a third-party viewpoint image, which is a moving image simulating a field of view of a virtual third person watching the user moving along the virtual course; A method for controlling a simulator comprising:

10. A computer program for controlling a simulator including an image display unit that displays an image and a movement instruction input unit to which a movement instruction is input by a user, the computer program comprising: The simulator includes: a first image display process for displaying, on the image display unit, a user viewpoint image which is a moving image simulating a field of view of the user moving along a virtual course in accordance with the movement instruction; a second image display process for displaying on the image display unit a third-party viewpoint image, which is a moving image simulating a field of view of a virtual third person watching the user moving along the virtual course; A computer program that executes the following:

Images