System for interactive scientific driving simulation with haptic information

An interactive wheeled vehicle simulator is described, consisting of a software application for simulating vehicle dynamics and presenting the results in virtual 3D environment, and a haptic interface. The latter consists of a hydraulically actuated active seat and an electrically activated active steering wheel. The system makes it possible to simulate wheeled vehicles of various configurations on arbitrary terrains. The design of the system is presented and the specific considerations are discussed. The system was experimentally verified by measurements on a real off-road vehicle. The kinematic values measured on the real vehicle and those, measured on the haptic interface were compared. The results are discussed and are generally found to correspond well, making the system usable for studying vehicle performance and training its operators.