This paper describes the design and preliminary test of a virtual reality driving simulator capable of conveying haptic and visual messages to promote eco-sustainable driving behavior. The driving simulator was implemented through the Unity game engine; a large street environment, including high-speed and urban sections, was created to examine different driving behaviors. The hardware setup included a gaming driving seat, equipped with a steering wheel and pedals; the virtual scenarios were displayed through an Oculus Rift headset to guarantee an immersive experience. Haptic stimulation (i.e., vibrations) was delivered to the driver through the accelerator pedal, while visual stimuli (i.e., icons and colors) were shown on a virtual head-up display. The sensory feedbacks were presented both alone and in combination, providing information about excessive acceleration and speed. Four different virtual scenarios, each one including a distracting element (i.e., navigator, rain, call, and traffic), were also created. Ten participants tested the simulator. Fuel consumption was evaluated by calculating a mean power index (MPI) in reference to the sensory feedback presentation; physiological reactions and responses to a usability survey were also collected. The results revealed that the haptic and visuo-haptic feedback were responsible for an MPI reduction, respectively, for 14% and 11% compared with a condition of no feedback presentation; while visual feedback alone resulted in an MPI increase of 11%. The efficacy of haptic feedback was also accompanied by a more relaxing physiological state of the users, compared with the visual stimulation. The system’s usability was adequate, although haptic stimuli were rated slightly more intrusive than the visual ones. Overall, these preliminary results highlight how promising the use of the haptic channel can be in communicating and guiding the driver toward a more eco-sustainable behavior.

本文介绍了一种虚拟现实驾驶模拟器的设计和初步测试，该模拟器能够传递触觉和视觉信息以促进生态可持续的驾驶行为。驾驶模拟器是通过Unity游戏引擎实现的；创建了包括高速路和市区路段在内的大型街道环境，以研究不同的驾驶行为。硬件设置包括带有方向盘和踏板的游戏驾驶座椅；虚拟场景通过Oculus Rift耳机进行显示，以确保身临其境的体验。触觉刺激（即振动）通过油门踏板传递给驾驶员，而视觉刺激（即图标和颜色）则显示在虚拟平视显示器上。感官反馈既可以单独提出也可以结合在一起提出，提供有关过度加速和速度的信息。还创建了四个不同的虚拟场景，每个虚拟场景都包含一个分散注意力的元素（即导航员，下雨，通话和交通）。十名参与者测试了模拟器。参考感觉反馈，通过计算平均功率指数（MPI）来评估燃油消耗；还收集了生理反应和对可用性调查的响应。结果表明，与没有反馈的情况相比，触觉和视觉触觉反馈分别导致MPI降低14％和11％。而仅视觉反馈就使MPI增加了11％。与视觉刺激相比，触觉反馈的功效还伴随着使用者更放松的生理状态。该系统的可用性是足够的，尽管触觉刺激被认为比视觉刺激更具侵入性。总体而言，这些初步结果突显了使用触觉通道在交流和引导驾驶员朝着更环保的方向发展方面的前景如何。