DFKI Cabin Simulator: A Test Platform for Visual In-Cabin Monitoring Functions
This provides a testbed for developing human-vehicle interfaces and automated driving systems, but it is incremental as it builds on existing simulator technology.
The researchers tackled the need for testing visual in-cabin monitoring functions by developing a simulator-based platform with synchronized camera and ground truth sensors, enabling validation of functions like occupant detection and driver intention recognition.
We present a test platform for visual in-cabin scene analysis and occupant monitoring functions. The test platform is based on a driving simulator developed at the DFKI, consisting of a realistic in-cabin mock-up and a wide-angle projection system for a realistic driving experience. The platform has been equipped with a wide-angle 2D/3D camera system monitoring the entire interior of the vehicle mock-up of the simulator. It is also supplemented with a ground truth reference sensor system that allows to track and record the occupant's body movements synchronously with the 2D and 3D video streams of the camera. Thus, the resulting test platform will serve as a basis to validate numerous in-cabin monitoring functions, which are important for the realization of novel human-vehicle interfaces, advanced driver assistant systems, and automated driving. Among the considered functions are occupant presence detection, size and 3D-pose estimation and driver intention recognition. In addition, our platform will be the basis for the creation of large-scale in-cabin benchmark datasets.