AB Dynamics Integrates Formula One Technology into Cutting-Edge Vehicle Driving Simulators
AB Dynamics has created a new vehicle driving simulator that will be introduced at the Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart on June 20, 2017. This simulator, developed with motion platform techniques from Williams’ Formula One operations and digital content from RFPro, is set to significantly cut development time and costs.
The aVDS simulator aims to reduce latency and boost frequency response, enabling more testing, development, and calibration tasks to be completed without needing a prototype vehicle. According to Adrian Simms, AB Dynamics’ business manager, vehicle dynamics simulators are becoming increasingly essential due to the growing number of new models and technologies.
In the past, the use of simulators was limited by the constraints of the motion platform’s physics, mainly restricting them to human-machine interface and ergonomic studies. The new simulator, however, has overcome these limitations. “Our new approach significantly enhances performance, expanding the range of simulator applications,” said Simms. “We believe it’s the first system that offers a high-resolution, fully-representative driving experience, making it the first true vehicle driving simulator.”
The simulator recreates the sensation of driving through precise audio, visual, haptic, and vestibular cues, providing a realistic experience and minimizing motion sickness. Its design allows for a high level of movement to mimic changes in speed and direction accurately, while low latency ensures timely sensory feedback.
This motion platform maintains a high-frequency response throughout its entire range of travel, which means it can accurately simulate vehicle attributes like ride quality and steering feel.
One challenge for engineers is selecting the right simulator system amidst the array of available technologies. Mistakes in this choice can be costly. For instance, hexapod architectures might seem effective with their long travel in one axis but have limitations when multiple directions are involved. Systems designed to overcome these limitations often suffer from higher mass and inertia, reducing performance.
AB Dynamics’ new system addresses these issues by using a unique setup where a vehicle cockpit is mounted on four wedge actuator modules on two parallel rails. Lightweight linear motors control the platform’s height and position, providing efficient and quiet operation. The platform moves by adjusting the distance between the wedges, and turns by moving the front and rear actuator pairs oppositely along the rails. Heave, pitch, and roll movements are controlled by lifting or lowering the platform at each corner through independent wedge movements.
“The combination of high stiffness and light weight, achieved through a sophisticated control strategy, results in a quiet, compact, and highly capable simulator,” explained Simms.
