A unique integration of a wet bench and driver-in-the-loop simulator for the development of braking and steering systems has been installed at the technical center of a Chinese OEM.
Cruden has partnered with dSPACE, a leading provider of solutions for developing connected, autonomous and electrically powered vehicles, to supply the world’s first driving simulator integrated with a wet bench testing rig at the technical center of a Chinese OEM in Shanghai.
The result of the collaboration between the three companies is a unique, combined driver-in-the-loop (DIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing tool for the development of automotive braking and steering systems.
Based on years of experience developing and simulating the Bosch iBooster system, the concept is designed to achieve real brake dynamic performance from a DIL simulator. The entire braking system configured by dSPACE – including brake lines, braking fluid, brake calipers, ABS controllers, valves and electrics, as found on actual production cars – is attached to the Cruden motion-based simulator’s top frame, allowing the driver all the benefits of a virtual test environment with the experience of real braking behavior.
Following delivery of the new simulator, the customer’s engineers integrated the simulator with their electric power steering (EPS) HIL bench, to allow the driver to also feel the steering from the actual EPS system. This subsequent development was achieved in-house within a few months, demonstrating the highly flexible package of open architecture simulator hardware and software.
“Traditionally, subjective driver-in-the-loop testing of braking ‘feel’ and hardware-in-the-loop testing of braking systems and components are two separate activities,” explains Dennis Marcus, Commercial Manager, Automotive and Motorsport at Cruden. “The configuration by Cruden, dSPACE and our mutual customer means these distinct testing methods can be combined in real-world conditions. The result is a significantly increased level of accuracy for every stage of the development process, from concept development to the tuning calibrations for production-ready vehicles. It is essential to test and validate the relationship between deceleration and brake pedal pressure, particularly in hybrid cars where hydraulic braking is combined with regenerative braking.
Cruden’s proprietary Panthera software suite manages the complete integration of the Cruden AS2 driving simulator, the dSPACE Scalexio hard-real-time system and the dSPACE ASM vehicle model. Panthera offers customers low-latency, ultra-high-definition feedback and the complete flexibility to combine hardware- and driver-in-the-loop testing of infinite vehicle models, via one highly-tuned system.
Click here to read how the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences in Germany can integrate any hardware it likes into its Cruden driving simulator after merging it with a dSPACE HIL set-up.
