Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
This is a video about Marko Bozic's bachelor's thesis at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.
Driving a vehicle is an impossible task for most people with severe physiological impairments. They are therefore heavily dependent on carers and relatives to remain mobile. The company Bozzio AG in Biel has set itself the task of giving these people the opportunity to drive independently. To this end, they have developed a ‘drive-by-wire’ system, the “Joysteer” human-machine interface (HMI), which enables a vehicle to be controlled using control elements that can only be operated with the fingers. This system controls the mechanics via electric motors and can therefore be installed in almost all vehicles and customized to the customer's needs. However, operating this system is not easy to learn and requires a well-practised feel for the controllers. Learning this is frightening and expensive for customers.
The aim of this bachelor's thesis is to develop a driving simulator for Bozzio AG, which will serve as a training tool for customers. Learner drivers can use the simulator to gain and deepen their initial experience in a safe environment. In addition to the real driving lessons, they can receive further
training lessons on the simulator. This gives customers a risk-free and cost-effective option to optimally prepare for their driving test.
The driving simulator should run natively in virtual reality on the Oculus Quest 3 and be controllable with the Joysteer HMI. It was developed in the Godot Game Engine for this purpose. In the simulator, trainees can drive through various scenarios to practise common manoeuvres, such as parking or cornering on fast roads. The entire system is designed to be portable, such that only the VR headset and HMIs are required to use it. Before the project was launched in September 2024, a prototype had already been developed in Unity. This prototype was then ported to the Godot engine and further developed. The driving behaviour of the virtual vehicle was adapted as closely as possible to the real-world counterpart using regression analysis, a machine learning technique, to achieve a realistic driving experience.
This is a video about Marko Bozic's bachelor's thesis at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.
Driving a vehicle is an impossible task for most people with severe physiological impairments. They are therefore heavily dependent on carers and relatives to remain mobile. The company Bozzio AG in Biel has set itself the task of giving these people the opportunity to drive independently. To this end, they have developed a ‘drive-by-wire’ system, the “Joysteer” human-machine interface (HMI), which enables a vehicle to be controlled using control elements that can only be operated with the fingers. This system controls the mechanics via electric motors and can therefore be installed in almost all vehicles and customized to the customer's needs. However, operating this system is not easy to learn and requires a well-practised feel for the controllers. Learning this is frightening and expensive for customers.
The aim of this bachelor's thesis is to develop a driving simulator for Bozzio AG, which will serve as a training tool for customers. Learner drivers can use the simulator to gain and deepen their initial experience in a safe environment. In addition to the real driving lessons, they can receive further
training lessons on the simulator. This gives customers a risk-free and cost-effective option to optimally prepare for their driving test.
The driving simulator should run natively in virtual reality on the Oculus Quest 3 and be controllable with the Joysteer HMI. It was developed in the Godot Game Engine for this purpose. In the simulator, trainees can drive through various scenarios to practise common manoeuvres, such as parking or cornering on fast roads. The entire system is designed to be portable, such that only the VR headset and HMIs are required to use it. Before the project was launched in September 2024, a prototype had already been developed in Unity. This prototype was then ported to the Godot engine and further developed. The driving behaviour of the virtual vehicle was adapted as closely as possible to the real-world counterpart using regression analysis, a machine learning technique, to achieve a realistic driving experience.
