The paper considers the development of tools for studying andenhancing the
ability of a driver under the inclement weather conditions. Under the severe
weather conditions, the performance of the driver is significantly influenced.
In this paper, synthetic cues derived through sensing, processing, and real-time
display are developed to improve the driver performance under the severe weather
conditions in addition to the driver's natural cues. The resulting synthetic
cues are delivered to the driver in the form of auditory display and visual
display. As an development and evaluation tool, a driving simulator has been
developed. The driving simulator includes vehicle dynamics, terrain modeling,
audio generation, network communication, controller design, scenario generation
and control, and data collection. A Pentium PC is dedicated to the data
communication with the driving console and the driver during simulation. Onyx2
Infinite Reality Engine manufactured by Silicon Graphics performs the real-time
visualization of the environment as well as the simulation of vehicle dynamics.