scholarly journals Evaluation of Vehicle Ride Height Adjustments Using a Driving Simulator

Vehicles ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-506
Author(s):  
Ehsan Sadraei ◽  
Richard Romano ◽  
Samantha Jamson ◽  
Gustav Markkula ◽  
Andrew Tomlinson ◽  
...  

Testing of vehicle design properties by car manufacturers is primarily performed on-road and is resource-intensive, involving costly physical prototypes and large time durations between evaluations of alternative designs. In this paper, the applicability of driving simulators for the virtual assessment of ride, steering and handling qualities was studied by manipulating vehicle air suspension ride height (RH) (ground clearance) and simulator motion platform (MP) workspace size. The evaluation was carried out on a high-friction normal road, routinely used for testing vehicle prototypes, modelled in a driving simulator, and using professional drivers. The results showed the differences between the RHs were subjectively distinguishable by the drivers in many of the vehicle attributes. Drivers found standard and low RHs more appropriate for the vehicle in terms of the steering and handling qualities, where their performance was deteriorated, such that the steering control effort was the highest in low RH. This indicated inconsistency between subjective preferences and objective performance and the need for alternative performance metrics to be defined for expert drivers. Moreover, an improvement in drivers’ performance was observed, with a reduction of steering control effort, in larger MP configurations.

Author(s):  
R S Sharp

The article is about steering control of cars by drivers, concentrating on following the lateral profile of the roadway, which is presumed visible ahead of the car. It builds on previously published work, in which it was shown how the driver's preview of the roadway can be combined with the linear dynamics of a simple car to yield a problem of discrete-time optimal-linear-control-theory form. In that work, it was shown how an optimal ‘driver’ of a linear car can convert the path preview sample values, modelled as deriving from a Gaussian white-noise process, into steering wheel displacement commands to cause the car to follow the previewed path with an attractive compromise between precision and ease. Recognizing that real roadway excitation is not so rich in high frequencies as white-noise, a low-pass filter is added to the system. The white-noise sample values are filtered before being seen by the driver. Numerical results are used to show that the optimal preview control is unaltered by the inclusion of the low-pass filter, whereas the feedback control is affected diminishingly as the preview increases. Then, using the established theoretical basis, new results are generated to show time-invariant optimal preview controls for cars and drivers with different layouts and priorities. Tight and loose controls, representing different balances between tracking accuracy and control effort, are calculated and illustrated through simulation. A new performance criterion with handling qualities implications is set up, involving the minimization of the preview distance required. The sensitivities of this distance to variations in the car design parameters are calculated. The influence of additional rear wheel steering is studied from the viewpoint of the preview distance required and the form of the optimal preview gain sequence. Path-following simulations are used to illustrate relatively high-authority and relatively low-authority control strategies, showing manoeuvring well in advance of a turn under appropriate circumstances. The results yield new insights into driver steering control behaviour and vehicle design optimization. The article concludes with a discussion of research in progress aimed at a further improved understanding of how drivers control their vehicles.


2011 ◽  
Vol 460-461 ◽  
pp. 704-709
Author(s):  
Shu Tao Zheng ◽  
Zheng Mao Ye ◽  
Jun Jin ◽  
Jun Wei Han

Vehicle driving simulators are widely employed in training and entertainment utilities because of its safe, economic and efficient. Amphibious vehicle driving simulator was used to simulate amphibious vehicle on land and in water. Because of the motion difference between aircraft and amphibious vehicle, it is necessary to design a reasonable 6-DOF motion system according to the flight simulator motion system standard and vehicle motion parameter. FFT of DSP and PSD were used to analysis the relationship between them. Finally according to the result analysis, a set of reasonable 6-DOF motion system motion parameter was given to realize the driving simulator motion cueing used to reproduce vehicle acceleration.


Author(s):  
Peter Grant ◽  
Jeffrey S. Freeman ◽  
Rob Vail ◽  
Frank Huck

Abstract A multi-phased evaluation of the Iowa Driving Simulator as a virtual proving ground for construction equipment simulation is presented. In Phase I the Iowa Driving Simulator was evaluated in an “open-loop” mode to assess its capability to simulate a typical maneuver common to wheel loader operation, and its viability as a test platform for human subject evaluation of those maneuvers. A typical wheel loader truck loading cycle involves numerous directional shifts. Cycle productivity is increased if these shifts are executed at full engine throttle. Jerk and acceleration levels associated with full throttle shifts, however, can cause both operator discomfort and spillage of loaded material. Electronically controlled transmissions have the potential to both minimize directional shift times and material loss while optimizing operator comfort. This optimization will require an understanding of the factors which affect operator comfort during shifts. A study was therefore devised to determine those aspects of the motion generated by a directional shift which affect operator comfort. The Iowa Driving Simulator motion system was used to present operators with a series of acceleration time histories which are representative of various shift strategies. The operators rated the relative comfort of each strategy during paired comparison tests. Limitations of the simulator motion system prevented definitive results from being drawn; however, results did confirm shift comfort criteria previously established by the machine manufacturer. Success of the Phase I effort was sufficient to warrant a more in-depth study. In Phase II a complete VPG environment for wheel loader operation on the IDS was developed and qualitatively evaluated. This VPG environment included a visual model of a mine pit, developed for Caterpillar, Inc. by engineers at its National Center for Supercomputing Applications office, combined with the immersive motion capability of the Iowa Driving Simulator. A real-time dynamics model of a generic wheel loader along with a menu driven interface to the data set used to simulate a particular wheel loader were developed at Center for Computer Aided Design. This combination of programs allows changes to the design of a loader to be rapidly evaluated within a virtual proving ground environment or off-line at an engineering workstation. The machine model was then combined with an implement/soil interaction model, also developed at Caterpillar’s National Center for Supercomputing Applications office. The resulting machine model can be evaluated either off-line at a workstation or driven in response to operator input within the Iowa Driving Simulator virtual proving ground environment. A comparison of the offline model’s predictions of machine response to swept-sinewave steering input is shown to compare favorably with measured performance of the actual machine.


Energies ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 580
Author(s):  
Michał Gołębiewski ◽  
Marta Galant-Gołębiewska ◽  
Remigiusz Jasiński

Protection of the natural environment is a key activity driving development in the transport discipline today. The use of simulators to train civil aviation pilots provides an excellent opportunity to maintain the balance between efficiency and limit the negative impact of transport on the environment. Therefore, we decided to determine the impact of selected simulations of air operations on energy consumption. The aim of the research was to determine the energy consumption of the flight simulator depending on the type of flight operation and configuration used. We also decided to compare the obtained result with the energy consumption of an aircraft of a similar class, performing a similar aviation operation and other means of transport. In order to obtain the results, a research plan was proposed consisting of 12 scenarios differing in the simulated aircraft model, weather conditions and the use of the simulator motion platform. In each of the scenarios, energy consumption was measured, taking into account the individual components of the simulator. The research showed that the use of a flight simulator has a much smaller negative impact on the natural environment than flying in a traditional plane. Use of a motion platform indicated a change in energy consumption of approximately 40% (in general, flight simulator configuration can change energy consumption by up to 50%). The deterioration of weather conditions during the simulation caused an increase in energy consumption of 14% when motion was disabled and 18% when motion was enabled. Energy consumption in the initial stages of pilot training can be reduced by 97% by using flight simulators compared to aircraft training.


Mechanik ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 571-573
Author(s):  
Jarosław Jankowski

The article presents the continuation of work related to the creation of a car driving simulator with a weight of up to 3.5 tons adapted to selected disabilities. The article contains a description of the developed motion platform with six degrees of freedom and the cockpit. In order to ensure the possibility of being managed by the largest group of people with physical disabilities, selected support solutions were implemented. These devices can be easily dismantled to test others. The platform together with the cockpit is controlled from the simulator application and the image is presented to the simulation participant in 3D projection glasses and optionally on a three-segment screen.


2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (1249) ◽  
pp. 487-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jones

ABSTRACTVirtual engineering tools are not currently employed extensively during the certification and commissioning of flight simulator motion systems. Subjective opinion is regarded as sufficient for most applications, as it provides verification that the motion platform does not cause false cueing. However, the results of this practice are systems that may be far from optimal for their specific purpose. This paper presents a new method for tuning motion systems objectively using a novel tuning process and tools which can be applied throughout the simulators life-cycle. The use of the tuning method is shown for a number of simulated test cases.


2014 ◽  
Vol 505-506 ◽  
pp. 315-318
Author(s):  
Ji Guo Zeng ◽  
Jing Yu Liu ◽  
Qiang Yu

The high-level driving simulators generally involve motion platform. This paper describes the design and development of a 6DOF hydraulic motion platform for vehicle driving simulator. Firstly, the structure and kinematic model of the platform are introduced. Then, the speed characteristics of the hydraulic cylinders by using different positive and negative voltage are studied. Because the cylinder startup time and hydraulic pump pressure will both affect the platform's final position, so a real-time platform control method according the sensor feedback is described. Finally, commonly used control functions of the platform are listed. The simulator and the motion platform run well by using this control method.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document