Examining Physical Realism in Motorcycle Simulators

Abstract

Motorcycle simulators are increasingly being used for safety research and rider training. However, replicating the physical realism found in real motorcycles poses challenges. Despite the growing interest in motorcycle simulator realism, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluations assessing the essential realistic features of the simulators currently available. This highlights the need for a thorough and updated review of simulator realism. This paper aims to provide an overview of the key aspects of physical realism in motorcycle simulators, including motion fidelity, control accuracy, sensory feedback, motion cuing and visual immersion. This paper evaluates 13 motorcycle simulators. Our evaluation shows that, although the complexity of the systems varies significantly, physical realism is consistently influenced by the convergence of a selection of key features. Advanced simulators demonstrate that the incorporation of integrated, multisensory, and dynamic features substantially enhances the perception of realism. As a result, these features may be considered as essential benchmarks for developing and validating motorcycle simulators.