Development and validation of a powertrain model for low-cost driving simulators

The presented low-cost driving simulator designed and built in LEPSiS (Laboratory for road Operations, Perception, Simulators and Simulations) is specialized in the reproduction of the yaw angle. In order to simulate the vehicle behaviour in real time, a vehicle model has been written in Matlab/Simulink. The algorithm has been developed into independent sub-models to allow for easy replacement and upgrades. During the present research, the upgraded sub-models are the ones concerning the powertrain of the vehicle: starting from the driver commands up to the torque on the transmission shaft. The simulated vehicle and the instrumented vehicle owned by the laboratory are both a Peugeot 406. The control of the movements actually reproduced by the simulator is carried out by means of sensors, placed under the driver seat. A triaxial accelerometer, a triaxial gyrometer and a laser distance-meter have been installed. They are controlled by a MicroAutoBox data acquisition system. Results from the model have been validated using a simulator software, Prosper/Callas by Oktal, on which a virtual model of the Peugeot 406 has been created. In order to compare the outputs, the same manoeuvres performed on the driving simulator have been reproduced on Prosper.