New Products
UC-win/Road Train simulator proposal
Train simulator for the purpose of research and development, education / training, public exhibition
Customize System Simulation

Development in the train simulator field
Forum8 develops "train simulator" as the customize system of UC-win/Road with the application of the technology studied by various driving simulators. Here, we introduce the train simulator under development.

The purpose of train simulator for the usage for research development, education, training of driver and conductor and driving experience as the exhibition for the PR. (Figure 1)

The image of Figure 2 and 3 introduced here is a simulator for the purpose of education and training of the train crews. It consists of two sets of the simulators which are imitated the cab and the conductor's compartment, and individual training and cooperation training which are interlocked each simulator are possible. A teacher table has a function of driving instructions and can perform insertion of various environment setting and abnormal circumstances (an accident, failure) from here to an imitative train.

Figure1 Classification of train simulator by the usage

Figure 2 Simulator system training for education and training of train crew

 Figure 3 Simulator system image for the purpose of education and training of train crew

A cab and a conductor's compartment are reproduced sophisticatedly
Inside of the cab and conductor's compartment, the immersion is realized by reproducing faithfully not only the appearance, configuration, size, but even operation feel (load reaction) and gauge needle movement. Therefore, mostly, real vehicle equipment is used as it is.
It supports both CG image and a video image
In a train simulator, various situations are freely made by CG. (Table 1)

It is also possible to use CG with high operation flexibility and the video image which is excellent in the reality depending on the intended use. (Figure 4)

In the simulator of Figure 3, the image made by five picture generation equipments is projected on the super-wide screen set up around 270 degrees outside of the window of conductor's compartment with 5 sets of projectors. In addition to the largeness of the screen, since human's eyes feel the speed to ahead direction in edge of eyesight, the realistic sensation would be further enlarged by the super wide screen. By synchronizing five equipments perfectly and blending the images when movie is projected by projector, the seamless screen is realized. For the simulator of conductor, the vertically long screen which projects the front image from the body side point is equipped and the conductor leans forward from the window and looks at the front when the virtual train is in platform. The extented body portion of the virtual train is projected on the screen, and the doors of passenger cabin in the screen open or close in conjunction with the switch operation of the conductor. The door which cannot be opened or closed by the malfunction, or the passenger' boading or exiting of train, the passenger being stuck with the doors, etc. would be simulated freely by CG. The image of a platform monitor television is simulated by CG as well.

CG picture
Photograph taken on a spot picture
Figure 4 CG video and footage of actual image

Type of situation
  • Live-action train line, uncompleted or virtual train line
  • Train line branch (entering arbitrary train line)
  • Entering terminal (dead- end)
  • Attachment/detachment
  • The other moving object (to move the other train, car, animal, human arbitrarily)
  • Variability of traffic signal display, change of sign
  • Whether (sunny, cloudy, foggy, rainy, snowy, lightning)
  • A time period (daytime, gloaming, night)
  • Lightning at night (on/off, upper/lower switching of headlight, lights from the window of building)
  • Collision, derailment, overturnlding)
  • Soil collapse, earthquake, flood, fire, etc.
  • Viewpoint movement, change of view (vehicle change: variability of cab location, view from
    Window in driving to front or back up, landscape from view point of conductor, TV footage of
    Platform monitor, landscape from the arbitrary position outside of the vehicle, long shot : view from sky )
Chart 1 various situation created by CG
Generation of simulated sound
In order to give the realistic sensation, the simulated sound (generation of imitative sound ) is indispensable to the simulator. The main sound shown in a table is generated by the simulator.

The speakers to generate imitative sound are equipped in and around the driver and conductor's cabin, for instance by generating the sound from front and back speakers one after another as per the dimention between two wheels and the train velocity when the train pass through point, etc. by which the realistic sensation of the run is played. (Table 2)

Acousmato Occurrence
Main electric motor sound Volume and tone color are changed depending on the speed.
Brake emission sound It's generated by the change of air-pressure.
Compressor sound It rings in operation of automatic air compressor.
Solenoid valve sound It rings in operation of solenoid valve.
Auxiliary power sound It rings in SIV operating. (It sounds all the time.)
Alarm whistle sound Electronic whistle, air whistle
Sound of door opening and closing It rings in door open and closing.
Rail friction sound The sound volume change as par the speed, ballast type and rail shape.
Rail joint sound Sound volume and distance changes depending on the speed, ballast type and rail type.
Switch machine passing sound The sound volume changes depending on the speed and ballast type.
Sound of passing on iron bridge It changes as par the type of iron bridge (material).
Sound of passing by vehicle in opposite lane It changes as per relative speed and the type of vehicle in opposit lane.
Masking sound At the time of passing through power pole and wall, etc.
Sound of passing through rail crossing Rail crossing warning sound. Doppler effect is simulated as well.
ATC operating sound Operating sound of digital ATC device.
Conductor announcement Train announcement
Noise in station It rings when trian stop a station (During the opening the door ).
Vehicle signal sound Buzzer, bell, music before the train leaves the station
Automatic broadcast sound Broadcasting flow into the car by recording sound inside of the train.
The other Raining sound, etc.
Chart2 Type of simulated sound
Generation of shake
In order to bring drive feeling of simulator closer to reality, a driver's body is shaken like actual run. Especially with the expansion of simulated view's screen and the improvement of reality feel, since the feeling that driver obtain in actual driving cannot be obtained in simulator, the phenomenon that the veteran drivers who have instinctive feel of train's characteristics have more tendency to come into unusual and drunk feel. For this reason, shake equipment is extremely important.

Simulation of shake is performed by controlling shake stand as a result of computer's momentum calculation of simulated train's driving formula. For cooperation training of driver and conductor, like actual train, the conductor's compartment is swung later than cab's swing by considering the train length.
Simulated calculation
In order to simulate the movement of train running at more than 100 km/h, it is necessary to carry out calculation processing of the huge program in real time. Now, it's possible for even PC to perform all calculation processing within the refresh rate (60 times per second) of an image, and simulation more advanced than the part can be performed.

Forum 8 propose and develop various customization systems depending on the intended use. I hope you will like it.
(Up&Coming '11 Midsummer Issue)
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