UNIQUE FEATURES AND CAPABILITIES OF THE NADS MOTION SYSTEM

Developed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) has many unique capabilities, including a large excursion envelope motion system with high performance. MTS Systems Corporation was responsible for the manufacture of the thirteen degree of freedom motion system driven by forty-five actuation channels. The motion system features a redundantly actuated ± 10 meter X and Y longitudinal and lateral steel belt drive for high stiffness and smoothness. A Stewart platform hexapod designed for taking advantage of the large X-Y travel rides on top the translation system. The hexapod supports a redundantly actuated ± 330-degree yaw turntable for more effective maneuver simulation and washout coordination. Finally, four high frequency vibration actuators beneath the cab feature self-reaction to minimize vibration to the graphics display dome and the projector support structure. This paper discusses the real-time control and mechanical design solutions that support the high motion envelope capacity of the NADS, including representative performance data.