Euro Truck Simulator 2 is being used to study driver fatigue levels

Scientists from the Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic) chose the Euro Truck Simulator 2 simulator to simulate long-term driving conditions. In the experiment, participants spent up to seven hours behind the wheel with a gaming steering wheel and a chair, simulating real-world road conditions.

The aim of the study was to detect the moment of microsleep. For this purpose, a “smart T-shirt” with sensors that monitor the driver’s breathing was used. According to researcher Martinka, this technology provides a more accurate determination of fatigue compared to existing automotive systems, and its sensors are practically invisible and suitable for washing.

Back in 2017, it was known that the Mars Auto startup from South Korea was developing an autopilot for self-driving trucks, while artificial intelligence is trained in the computer game Euro Truck Simulator 2.

The truck learns to stay in the lane, adhere to the speed limit, avoid obstacles and navigate the terrain. In this case, the car is controlled from a virtual copy of the joystick, and movement data is displayed in a special table. It is known that other startups also used games in the genre of car simulators to train artificial intelligence, in particular The Open Racing Simulator.

According to the developer, in the future, simulation in the game will have to be abandoned, as the autopilot will begin to take into account more complex factors: for example, radars or motion sensors. While at the development stage, real-life tests can lead to an accident and require permission from the authorities, so game simulators are used.