How UI research paved the way for driving simulators around the world
When audiences watch F1: The Movie, they’re seeing more than Brad Pitt and Damson Idris driving fast cars and training on a high-tech driving simulator.
The vehicle dynamics research required for motion-based driving simulators – like what is used in F1 to portray driver training on the big screen – has roots at the University of Iowa.
“Seeing F1: The Movie is a reminder that some of the most influential automotive research in the world began right here at the University of Iowa,” said Daniel McGehee, director of the Driving Safety Research Institute.
Iowa has been home to not one, but two of the world’s most sophisticated driving simulators: first the Iowa Driving Simulator built in 1989; then the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS-1) in 2001 — still one of the most advanced motion-based driving simulators in the world.
The birthplace of vehicle dynamics
In the 1980s and 1990s, engineers and students at the UI’s Center for Computer-Aided Design led by Ed Haug, now professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, laid the foundation for modern ground-vehicle dynamics research.
Collaborating with other universities, Haug’s team created software that transformed these dynamics into code for realistic simulation models. They eventually developed the software used to power the original Iowa Driving Simulator, one of the first motion-based driving simulators in the U.S.
Their innovations enabled engineers to simulate ground-vehicle stress responses before building physical prototypes. This included terrain modeling, load calculations, durability predictions, and tire modeling. These advances led to the concept of the “virtual proving ground,” where engineers could test and refine designs entirely in simulation, changing how manufacturers design vehicles.
By the 1990s, their research extended into early studies on anti-lock braking systems, intra-ocular lens implants, airplane controls, and some of the first automated driving simulations.
The creation of NADS-1
When the NADS-1 opened in 2001, early research on it included tire failure and loss of control, electronic stability control, hard braking maneuvers, driver distraction, and agricultural applications with John Deere.
The design of the NADS-1 became a benchmark for realism in driving simulation, attracting companies like Toyota and McLaren Racing to test its motion capabilities and refine their own simulators.
Chris Schwarz, director of engineering and modeling research at DSRI, recalled a visit from McLaren Cars, a high-end sports car maker and F1 racing team: “They brought their vehicle dynamics software, and we put an F1 course into our system. Their drivers gave feedback on how it felt. That helped them tune their own simulator specifications.”
Iowa’s legacy of vehicle dynamics research lives on through human factors research in driving safety, including drowsy and distracted driving, drugged driving, and connected and automated vehicles.