TABLE OF CONTENTS The construction of a course is a fundamental prerequisite for all simulations with driver-vehicle models. In order for practically relevant applications to be carried out, the course must first be defined and then must be connected to the complete model in a meaningful manner.
Naturally, as detailed a reproduction of the road is required as possible, i.e. environmental influences such as wind and weather should be reproduced as realistically as is necessary and possible. Furthermore, the road data under different road gradients in the longitudinal and lateral directions, and different road surfaces, on top of the actual course co-ordinates must not be forgotten. The most important criteria to be considered however is that the course must be one which can, in reality, actually be driven. The planned desired course must therefore satisfy the following criteria [62]:
Continuity of the path
No car can move instantaneously from one point to another. Thus the continuity of the course is an elementary criterion. The path must be complete (without gaps) in order that the vehicle can travel from the start to the end point.
Continuity of the curvature
The physical relationship between the rotational equivalent wheel velocity v R and the rotational velocity of the vehicle in a curve ? C is given by
| (11.1) |  |
where ? corresponds to the curve radius. From this it can be seen that a step-wise change in curve radius ? would have to result...
