Frederick II in ASPI project for first augmented reality driving simulator

The University of Naples Federico II is among those participating in the Autostrade per l'Italia Group's DBA - Driver Behaviour Analysis project, which enables the study of driver behavior on highways near construction sites using an augmented reality driving simulator.

The goal is to analyze reactions and evaluate alternative solutions to further increase traveler safety. The other Italian academic research excellences involved are the Politecnico di Milano, the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and the University of Florence.

For the first time, Movyon, a leading Group company in the development and integration of Intelligent Transport Systems solutions, has launched an innovative experiment based on an integrated scientific approach, combining data collected in the field through drones and advanced driving simulation technologies. The focus of the analysis is human behavior, observed through tests conducted in a highly realistic immersive reality recreated inside a state-of-the-art cockpit. The goal is to study drivers' reactions when faced with critical situations, identify the main risk factors, understand the causes of misbehavior, and evaluate the effectiveness of new solutions to increase safety at highway construction sites. Technology thus becomes a key resource at the service of the safety of travelers and workers at construction sites, with drones and artificial intelligence taking a leading role in collecting data preparatory to the creation of simulation scenarios. Drones, already used to analyze traffic flows, can now capture images useful for faithfully recreating what is happening on the highway network: from construction sites, to vehicle trajectories. What was previously seen with a dash cam installed inside cars can now be captured and verified through the use of drones that can return a complete view of what is happening on the highway. A journey into augmented reality. In this first phase, by analyzing the trajectories of vehicles detected by drones near highway construction sites, it was possible to accurately identify the most frequent and significant incorrect driving behaviors. From these results, specific immersive scenarios were developed using a highly detailed digital twin, reproducing the A26 highway section between Borgomanero and Novara. The simulation included both a scenario with the traditional temporary signage present at construction sites and an alternative version incorporating innovative solutions aimed at improving safety. This approach ensures a high level of realism and allows the effectiveness of new proposals to be tested in a controlled and realistic virtual environment, placing the behavior of drivers and their response to potentially critical situations at the center. The role of academia.

Academia has played a role in the experimentation. In fact, it is the driving simulator at the Milan Polytechnic University where simulations were conducted through augmented reality scenarios and where driving behavior was analyzed. Observations regarding trajectories and speed profiles at construction sites with the calculation of surrogate measures of safety were the result of analysis by the University of Naples Federico II, while the study of the perception of safety and the way different driver profiles perceive the road environment and signage in approach to construction sites was the work carried out by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Finally, the examination with artificial intelligence algorithms of video streams recorded by drones, aimed at identifying vehicles and trajectories, was led by the University of Florence.

The experimentation is one of the initiatives promoted as part of Autostrade per l'Italia's road safety awareness campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies and the State Police, to raise awareness among travelers about the importance of proper driving also to protect the workers who work on the highway network every day.