19/02/2015

  • The simulator will be used to train snow plough operators in the handling of the vehicle, road clearing and salt spreading within a risk-free environment 
  • This R&D&i project undertaken in collaboration with InfoNorte has been funded by the CDTI

Valoriza Conservación de Infraestructuras, the Sacyr subsidiary specialising in infrastructure maintenance has, together with Indra and InfoNorte, developed an innovative snow plough simulator for training operators how to drive such vehicles and use the attachments, v-blade and plough to remove snow from the roads, and the salt spreader to melt ice.

Such machinery is designed for infrastructure maintenance; the simulator is the result of an R&D&i project funded by the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI). The aim is to create a system for training operators of such vehicles without having to depend on the weather while also avoiding the associated risks both to themselves and other drivers, enabling them to cope with difficult situations in adverse winter conditions before heading out to work on real roads. 

The simulator uses state-of-the-art technology to faithfully recreate all the vehicle's characteristics. In addition to having real parts and precisely replicating the position of the different elements, it has been created by drawing on the experience and data provided by operating companies. The driving position is mounted on a motion platform with six degrees of freedom that provides a faithful replica of how the vehicle behaves and moves: pitch, roll, yaw, etc. 

Last year, Valoriza Conservación de Infraestructuras received the ACEX (Association of Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance Companies) National Safety Award, in the general category, for its winter simulator project. 

In order to provide training for this sector, Valoriza Conservación de Infraestructuras and the snow clearance equipment manufacturer Infonorte Tecnología have jointly created a start-up called Simulador de Vialidad Invernal, S.L., in which Valoriza holds a 60% stake. This start-up will enable the training needs in this sector to be met and facilitate the acquisition of basic skills for safe driving in adverse weather conditions as well as advanced skills in foreseeing risks, maintaining safe speeds and distances, and monitoring stress and fatigue.

State-of-the-art graphics engine

The simulator's many innovative features include a new graphics engine which, in addition to the general requirements for driving simulators, recreates and displays snow movement. Thanks to this technology, the 3D effects are of far greater realism and quality. Furthermore, using new graphical programming technology, the scenarios have been redesigned to enhance the technical aspects, and new scenarios can be developed far more quickly and easily. 

The highly realistic effects enable drivers to train at any time of the day or night as well as in different environmental conditions such as rain, fog, gusty winds or varying intensities of snowfall. The simulator also reproduces other effects such as the snow plough's work lights, build-up of snow on the windscreen or clouds of snow thrown up by the blade.

The virtual reality system enables students to practice in different work settings: city centres, tunnel entrances and exits, car parks, two-way roads, motorways and mountain roads. 

Moreover, to make the simulation even more realistic, a traffic model has been introduced that allows vehicles to move independently from the vehicle driven by the student with accurate, realistic behaviour. .

Snow clearing and salt spreading

For training in snow clearing, the instructor can set the depth of the initial layer. The system detects the driver's actions when controlling the blade and plough and simulates these elements in the virtual reality system, accurately reproducing their movements to provide the student with feedback on their actions. 

Through a complex algorithm, the system modifies the depth of snow as it is being cleared by the snow plough. It also portrays the path and movement of the snow, whereby if the snow plough returns to a cleared area, it will look just as it had before.

As regards salt or brine spreading, a mathematical model has been developed to calculate the type and amount of spread as well as its radius of action according to the student's handling of the real controls and the trajectory and speed of the vehicle. This information, along with the weather and road conditions selected by the instructor, allows the student's efficiency in this task to be rated.

Benefits of the simulator

As well as being trained in different scenarios, the Indra simulator enables students to train at no risk to themselves or other drivers in varying situations that frequently arise when driving. At the same time, the instructor has real-time control over the entire simulation, and can introduce incidents or breakdowns, change the level of visibility, the weather conditions or traffic density, among other things, to let drivers practice in different settings and thus avoid accidents. The system also lets you record classes to create an historical archive and allows full management of data and reports. 

Currently, no specific qualification or training exists in Spain for drivers of such vehicles and they are only required to have a type "C" driving licence, which is valid for all types of lorries. The new simulator developed by Indra will allow operators of these vehicles to receive specific training, thereby enabling them to make decisions more efficiently and optimise their work so that, when they finally venture onto real roads, they will be able to cope with even the most difficult winter situations as well as load inertia, as the salt being carried tends to shift the vehicle's centre of gravity with each movement.

Valoriza Conservación de Infraestructuras

The Sacyr subsidiary specialises in the maintenance of all manner of road infrastructures (over 4,000 kilometres of road and/or motorways), dams, ports, irrigation channels and hydroelectric plants. The company leads its sector in innovation and is one of Spain's largest companies in volume of R&D&i contracts: since 2006, the R&D&i department of this Sacyr subsidiary has undertaken over 20 lines of research encompassing 13 projects approved by different public administrations and with a budget of 7.6 million euros. 

Sacyr is a multinational infrastructure and services company listed on the Ibex 35. Its commitment to innovation and international expansion has made it a benchmark company in the construction and management of infrastructures and industrial projects, property rental and services in over 20 countries and with 23,000 employees.

Experience in simulation

Indra is one of the world's leading manufacturers of simulators and boasts over 30 years' experience in the field. The company develops simulation systems to provide training in the operation of planes, helicopters, drones, submarines, buses, cars and lorries, trains and Metro and civil works machinery. It has over 200 simulators in 23 countries around the world, which have provided more than one million hours of training. 

Indra, headed by CEO Fernando Abril-Martorell, is Spain's no. 1 multinational consultancy and technology firm and among the largest in Europe and Latin America. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business and sustainability, having earmarked more than €570M to R&D&i over the last three years, placing it among the top ranking European companies of its sector in terms of investment. With sales totalling some €3 billion, 61% of revenue comes from the international market. It employs 43,000 professionals and has clients in 138 countries.

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