Integration of the CAT Crewstation with the Ride Motion Simulator (RMS)

Members from the National Automotive Center (NAC) TARDEC-RDECOM are involved in a Power Budget Model and Duty Cycle Experimentation Project that is part of an Army Technology Objective (ATO). The main goal of this program is to develop models and simulations that will help engineers evaluate conceptual designs for use in propulsion and power delivery for the Army’s Future Combat System (FCS). The initial phase comprises mounting a Crew integration and Automation Test bed (CAT) Crewstation onto the Ride Motion Simulator (RMS) and then integrating a dynamics model. This paper will discuss the various components that were used in the integration, which consists of the Vehicle Dynamics Mobility Server (VDMS), a Combat Hybrid Power System (CHPS) Powertain, a SimCreator dynamics model, a Soldier-Machine Interface (SMI), and an Embedded Simulation System (ESS). This paper will also present the numerous challenges involving the system and software integration.