Identifying tractor overturning scenarios using a driving simulator with a motion system

Tractor overturning or rollover is serious safety and health issues around the world. A tractor driving simulator can be a powerful tool for predicting and preventing overturning accidents. Although several researchers have tried to develop tractor driving simulators, the development and investigation of such simulators are still in its early stages. A prototype of a tractor driving simulator with a motion system was developed using the simulation tools CarSim, MATLAB and Simulink, and a shaking table. In the development of the system, characteristics were set for various tractor configurations. On the basis of the real case of an accident on a steep passage slope that was reported in Japan, a tractor overturning accident was reproduced in a virtual test drive. Obtained results corresponded with tractor overturning scenarios reported in previous studies. The numerical results revealed the effectiveness of the developed driving simulator for studying overturning accident problems and it showed that the simulator could be applied to safety studies and product development. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IAgrE.