U. Memphis Driving Simulator

Instructions for Building Your Own Driving Simulator

This custom driving simulator is located at the University of Memphis. It was assembled by undergraduate student Ahmed N Al-Chokhachi and graduate student Bhargab Acharya. The simulator is used to produce data for PIVOT and for a variety of research projects, including Human-Computer Interaction and detection of autonomous driving.  Its capabilities are constantly evolving, with a VR headset and eye-tracking coming soon.

Cockpit Parts List

Base/Motor: Moza R9 Base
This device powers the whole driving simulator, and allows for a direct force feedback of up to 9 ft lb of torque.
Moza R9 Base Photo

Wheel: Moza ESX Steering Wheel for Xbox
Quick release steering wheel that is compatible with the base. Utilizes Xbox controller buttons.
Moza ESX Steering Wheel Photo

Pedals: Moza CRP Pedals
Three pedal configuration that allows the driver to choose between manual and automatic driving modes.
Moza CRP Pedals Photo

Shifter: Moza HGP Shifter
Shifter and gear selector to operate using the standard “H” pattern shifter, or set the car in driving mode.
Moza HGP Shifter Photo

Display: Samsung Odyssey G5
32” Ultrawide monitor with 1440p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate.

Cockpit Frame: Supllueer Racing Sim Cockpit
Cockpit frame and monitor mount from Amazon.
Supllueer Racing Sim Cockpit Photo
Supllueer Racing Sim Cockpit Photo
Supllueer Racing Sim Cockpit Photo

Software List

BeamNG.Tech
BeamNG Drive is a driving simulator popular for its realistic soft body physics and a large community of mods. You can modify and tweak almost every part of a vehicle. BeamNG also offers a research version called BeamNG.Tech, designed for various research and development purposes:

  • Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) testing
  • Autonomous vehicle development
  • Driver training simulations
  • Vehicle dynamics research
  • Crash testing simulations

BeamNG.Tech includes a comprehensive sensor suite typical for autonomous driving research:

  • Cameras
  • LIDAR
  • Ultrasonic sensors
  • IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)
  • Customizable sensor configurations

It also offers various integrations like:

  • Python API
  • Lua API
  • MATLAB
  • ROS bridge
  • CANBus
  • MQTT

They provide free licenses for research purposes.

Open Pilot
Openpilot is an open-source advanced driver assistance system developed by Comma.ai. We are integrating Openpilot with BeamNG to automate driving in BeamNG.

Carla
Carla is an open-source driving simulator designed for autonomous driving research. It provides various APIs and a sensor suite similar to BeamNG.