Go ahead and send a text message while driving. Heck, feel free to drink alcohol too.It?s allowed – nay, encouraged – as long as you?re at UW-Madison?s new driving simulation laboratory. Located in the Mechanical Engineering Building, the simulator allows researchers to study such risky behaviors with no risk of an accident. In the simulator, a driver sits in a Ford Fusion with a 24-foot screen wrapped around front and an additional screen in the back. Six projectors create a virtual driving environment on the screens. It was founded by John Lee, industrial and systems engineering professor, and David Noyce, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation fund the project.
Office of Strategic Communication