SIMDRIVE: A Didactic Immersive Learning Experience with Traffic Laws and Driving Skills in Virtual Worlds
摘要
The present study addresses the problem of insufficient practical driver training in controlled and safe scenarios, a critical factor in improving road safety and reducing traffic accidents. The main objective is to develop and evaluate a driving simulator, named SimDrive, designed to help users—whether they possess a driver’s license or not—enhance their driving skills in a realistic virtual environment. To achieve this, a system based on OpenSim, PHP, and MySQL was implemented, providing an interactive simulation environment along with automated user performance evaluation. The research method involved administering pre- and post-simulation surveys to 15 students from the Technical University of Ambato to assess their perceptions and the simulator’s effectiveness. Additionally, user performance data recorded during simulation sessions were analyzed to evaluate SimDrive’s usefulness and accuracy in teaching driving skills. The findings indicate that SimDrive positively impacts the improvement of driving abilities, particularly in complex traffic scenarios, and its implementation could be highly beneficial in practical training programs at driving schools.