Cruden’s new CoreBox is the IT manager for any driving simulator, providing a single point of access for tool integration, software upgrades, remote support and more.

We have seen already in this Tool Integrtion Series of articles that driving simulator users integrate all manner of third-party engineering tools to get the most from their simulators – whether their field is vehicle development, motorsport or human factors research.

But beyond that initial integration of multiple tools, the ongoing demands of version management from software updates, and the need to keep the tools operating seamlessly together, can be a headache for simulator operators. That’s why Cruden identified the need for a new, generic device to manage and consolidate the entire driver-in-the-loop (DIL) simulation ecosystem.

The new Panthera CoreBox provides the customer with a single point of contact with their simulator, no matter how many different, additional hardware devices or engineering-tool software applications are integrated with it. Cruden set out to create a user-friendly platform that would overcome the day-to-day niggles and often wasted time of working with any simulator from any manufacturer. The net result is a higher level of immersion, and therefore more relevant feedback from the simulator, as well as time and money savings in its preparation and operation.

Panthera CoreBox is a dedicated machine sold as a standalone piece of hardware, for use with any driving simulator. It sits at the center of the wider simulator Panthera simulator control software framework.

From the visual system and motion base to the integrated traffic engine and vehicle model, or a third-party tool such as dSPACE HIL systems, all components connect individually to CoreBox using the same SDK. It then controls each one during a simulation run, lets them interact with each other and monitors the state and performance of all simulator hardware and software components.

Panthera CoreBox manages and monitors signal distribution between the different simulator processes, ensuring low latency and synchronization of data streams. It provides an accurate, centralized simulation time for the synchronization of components and determines system latencies, notifying the operator if an application – whether Cruden or third-party – is struggling to keep up with the simulation.

CoreBox runs a dedicated real-time operating system (RTOS), based on the Linux kernel for best performance and lowest latency, that is optimized for its task. This provides the Panthera framework full control over time-critical processes that could potentially affect the driving experience.

Next to the web browser-based operator interface, CoreBox also provides remote support access for in-house team members, or to allow Cruden engineers to help configure the simulator for new experiments and deploy new software releases and fresh 3D content more easily. Think of it as an IT manager for simulators.

“Every well-utilized driving simulator will encounter continuous changes over its life,” says Nico Kruithof, Computer Scientist at Cruden and lead developer for Panthera CoreBox. “New tracks, new vehicles, upgrades to models and software or changes to the visual system all impact the simulator, but it’s not always clear how or why. An expert simulation engineer on site can often solve issues within a reasonable amount of time, but what happens when they are not there? No one wants a long stoppage, especially if 50 test participants, your expert driver or senior management are in the lobby, waiting for a scheduled experiment to start.”

Panthera CoreBox has two network connections – one to the simulator network and one to the internet. Only CoreBox has access to the internet, not the rest of the simulator’s computers, and the internet connection is only live during remote-support sessions and software upgrades provided by Cruden. During normal operation, customers can leave the internet connection turned off.  Although, several customers chose to leave it on, enabling the Cruden engineers to proactively check the simulator for warnings and errors.

“Customers used to call us when something was wrong with the projectors or the steering felt a bit weird, when the previous week everything was fine,” Nico continues. “What then followed was a conversation with lot of questions as we tried to identify the key variable. But with Panthera CoreBox, every simulator activity is logged. An alarm tells you which element of the system is not performing well. The Cruden team can then jump online and assist. We know our customers don’t want their vehicle dynamists or human factors researchers spending time working on the simulator. CoreBox is a small investment that allows them to focus on their core area of expertise while working with the simulator.”

As well as streamlining support to reduce downtime, Panthera CoreBox results in better overall simulator performance thanks to slicker integration with existing third-party hardware and software and simplifies new integrations. Until now, the Cruden system integration could only be implemented and supported by having the company’s engineers on site. CoreBox enables easier, higher quality remote support on integrations, meaning more customers can benefit from Cruden’s expertise and at a lower cost.

For example, Cruden recently launched a new Panthera release and rolled it out to customers over the CoreBox. As a result, some updates were required to a US customer’s dSPACE installation. Thanks to the new setup, Cruden was able to reconfigure everything overnight ready for the customer to get back to work in the morning.

Panthera CoreBox is standard on all new Cruden simulators and available as an upgrade for existing customers. However, as previously stated, CoreBox can be implemented with any driving simulator hardware, visual system and engineering tool integration, not just in Cruden-made simulators. As a DIL system integrator, Cruden knows the importance of properly integrating engineering tools with motion, visual, audio and haptic feedback. Several of its OEM customers already had a simulator when they contacted the company for help with system integration and to improve the operability of their simulator.

“CoreBox is testament to our understanding of system integration,” sums up Nico. “Most simulator manufacturers focus on the motion system and consider elements like visual audio and tool integration as peripherals, but we come at it from a different perspective. We think of the simulator as a complete environment.”

For more information, please contact Dennis Marcus via d.marcus@cruden.com or on +31 20 707 4646.

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Links to subsequent articles will be added below as they are published.

View all articles in our Tool Integration series of articles: here.

Article 1: Driving simulator and third-party engineering tool integration

Article 2: Four wheels good: Vehicle model integration for dynamics and more

Article 3: Hard decisions made easier: hardware-in-the-loop testing with DIL simulation

Article 4: In search of perfect harmony: HMI testing in a driving simulator

Article 6: Standard interfaces for non-standard simulators

Article 7: Perfect harmny: The driving simulator as a virtual OEM

Article 8: Tool Integrations - Data acquisition

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