Start / Dynamic Driving Simulator

Steering, brakes, tires - driver experience place in vehicle development

Our Dynamic Driving Simulator for Your Virtual Vehicle Development

Q: How can a driving simulator be integrated into a vehicle development process?

The dynamic driving simulator is a central component of a user-centered development. It enables development engineers to make well-founded decisions at an early stage and involve the user in the vehicle development process right from the start. Whether it's about vehicle dynamics, automated driving or user experience (UX) - the simulator serves as an essential interface between diverse areas of expertise. Maneuvers that are not yet feasible in the real world can be performed in the simulator. Functions can be tested in their raw state and isolated from the overall vehicle, which is easier in the simulator than in the real vehicle. Comprehensive validation is achieved through the use of test benches (HiL) and model integration (SiL/MiL). These possibilities make the use of the simulator indispensable.

Q: What role does a driving simulator play in the vehicle development process?

The complexity of vehicle systems is constantly increasing, which requires faster and more cost-effective development. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have prototypes and vehicles available. Virtual methods allow the developer of vehicles to work efficiently and save resources without having to rely on many prototypes. This is an important precursor to achieving the goal of “zero prototypes”. A frequently occurring case is the simulation of corner cases and complex scenarios: In the simulator, complex scenarios and corner cases can be simulated in various combinations. Here the driving simulator enables frontloading in the development process, such as the validation of functions in early development phases or the evaluation of HMI concepts. Highly accurate ground truth models are used here.

Q: What are the advantages of using the driving simulator in the vehicle development process?

The driving simulator enables our customers to develop technical solutions that are mature, user-friendly and practical. By involving the user at an early stage, we can ensure that our innovations meet the high demands of our customers. Another advantage is the subjective evaluation of functions. While the selectivity of the data can be problematic in purely objective, measurement-based tests, subjective impressions can still be felt and evaluated in the simulator.

Q: What is the most common problem in vehicle development for which the driving simulator is used?

In the automotive industry, it is often the case that certain components are more advanced than the vehicle as a whole. The driving simulator bridges this discrepancy by enabling early parameterization of hardware. For example, brakes, ESP, steering and dampers can be tested and adjusted before the vehicle is available. This supports function development on the control units and makes the functions tangible. Test benches (HiL) are also used for this purpose.

The complexity of systems is constantly increasing, which raises the demand for faster and more cost-effective development. At the same time, the availability of prototypes and vehicles is becoming increasingly difficult, forcing considerable resource savings.

Virtual vehicle development has established itself in the industry. The decisive question is no longer whether simulation and driving simulators are used in vehicle development, but how quickly we can achieve our ambitious development goal using virtual methods in a cost- and time-efficient manner and, if possible, without prototypes.

The use of the MdynamiX driving simulator

The dynamic driving simulator envrionment is at the heart of human-centered development at MdynamiX, which aims to make the right decisions early on and involve the user in the development process at an early stage. Whether it’s about vehicle dynamics and steering, automated driving, acoustics and control technology or UX and human factors – the driving simulator forms the central interface between our diverse areas of competences in technical development.

The integration of the simulator into our innovative methods and the integration of our hardware and software solutions into the simulator are unique. This enables us to carry out realistic tests and developments that are directly tailored to the needs and expectations of users. In this way, we ensure that our innovations are not only technically mature, but also user-friendly and practical.

Driving simulator and expertise: the key to innovative vehicle development

Reproducible, safe, resource-efficient – make decisions efficiently and at an early stage. Virtual testing with the driving simulator is one of our core competences and is seamlessly integrated into our method development. This enables us to develop flexible and agile customized solutions for every type of development challenge based on our broad range of expertise.

Automated Driving

UX + Human Factor

Advantages of a driving simulator

Component tests: HiL tests can be carried out under controlled conditions.
Safety-critical tests: Tests that are too risky for test tracks can be carried out safely in the simulator.
Early development phase: Tests that are not possible on public roads can be carried out in the simulator.
Increased efficiency: development times can be shortened and costs reduced by carrying out tests and changing models more quickly in the simulator.
Reproducibility: Tests can be repeated under identical conditions, which increases the reliability of the results.
V/V process: The simulator effectively supports our customers in verification and validation to ensure comprehensive validation.

Features of the driving simulator

Visualization system with seven 240 Hz projectors on a cylindrical screen with Ø 8.8 m.
EPS HiL setup with bus simulation.
Original steering hardware including column.
Kinesthetic 6-DOF feedback with low latency up to over 50 Hz (motion platform).
Real-time integration of MBS vehicle and tire models.
Plug + Play: MXsteerHiL, MXbrakeHiL and MXdamperHiL – plug in test benches for steering, braking and damper and start developing on the dynamic driving simulator.
Use of Ground Truth Maps.

Research partner of MdynamiX

Ansible Motion’s dynamic driving simulator enables the virtual development of vehicles and offers comprehensive testing capabilities, including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL), Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) and Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL). This versatile solution covers all vehicle simulation requirements and accurately represents even the smallest changes to the vehicle configuration. Thanks to a wide range of powerful platform and cockpit options, users’ needs are optimally met. An example of the advanced vehicle driving simulator (aVDS), which is based on the simulator used by the British Formula 1 team Williams Racing, is in continuous use at our research partner Institute for Driver Assistance and Connected Mobility (IFM) in Benningen.

Stefanie Trunzer
Product Owner
+49 174 9077653
stefanie.trunzer@mdynamix.de

How can a driving simulator be integrated into a vehicle development process?

What role does a driving simulator play in the vehicle development process?

What are the advantages of using the driving simulator in the vehicle development process?

What is the most common problem in vehicle development for which the driving simulator is used?