Exterior view of the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAPS)

Exterior view of the CTAPS

View of the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAPS) cab

View of the CTAPS cab

Representation of a truck in the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAPS) environment

Representation of a truck in the CTAPS environment

Snow is a programmable weather event in the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAPS).

Snow is a programmable weather event in the CTAPS.

Highway driving is one of the four standard driving worlds used in the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAPS).

Highway driving is one of the four standard driving worlds used in the CTAPS.

Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAP)

Used for training and rapid prototyping purposes, the Commercial Training and Prototyping Simulator (CTAP) offers many potential benefits to the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) community. Fleets and organizations have the ability to provide high–quality training as well as the ability to prototype and evaluate systems and technologies before moving to full field testing or technology demonstrations. In addition, CTAP obtains data using VTTI's proven Data Acquisition System (DAS) for sophisticated driver training feedback.

Simulator Hardware

The CTAP simulator is based on a FAAC TT-2000-V7 full-mission truck driving simulator. This simulator provides all the displays and controls typically found in a truck, including variable resistance force-feedback steering, a three degree of freedom motion seat, OEM functioning gauges and warning/indicator lights, an OEM accelerator, brake, and clutch pedal, as well as an OEM shift tower with range selector and splitter switch. The transmission may be used as an automatic, synchronized manual, or 9-, 10-, 13-speed non-synchronized manual transmission.

The CTAP simulator provides a 225° seamless forward field of view, providing the simulator drivers with no bars or other divisions between the forward image channels. Additionally, the simulator has two flat (West Coast) mirrors in the standard truck position to reflect the image from two 42 inch LCD screens positioned at the rear of the simulator. This provides for mirror parallax that cannot be obtained in traditional inset image simulated mirrors.

The CTAP simulator is able to replicate a number of vehicle configurations (including conventional and cab-over tractors, as well as single-unit trucks) and driving environments (including different roadway, weather, and traffic scenarios).

Data Collection Abilities

A VTTI DAS is fully-integrated into the CTAP simulator. This provides the ability to record standard driver performance metrics. Additionally, the DAS collects data in the same format as those installed in real trucks. This allows for comparisons between driver performance in the simulator and in a real truck.

Other Features

In addition to the aforementioned features, the CTAP simulator is able to use customized geo-specific driving environments. This allows drivers to experience highly accurate, highly detailed, simulations of driving environments that they can encounter in the real world. Combined with this feature is the ability to offer additional vehicle models. Buses, straight trucks, other trailer models, emergency and military vehicles may all be developed according to client needs. Both vehicle models and geo-specific driving environments can be developed on an as-needed basis.