The Commercial Training and Prototyping (CTAP) simulator at VTTI offers many potential benefits to the commercial motor vehicle community. Used for training and rapid prototyping purposes, the simulator gives fleets and organizations the ability to provide high-quality training and to evaluate systems and technologies before moving to full-field testing or demonstrations. The CTAP simulator collects data using one of VTTI's proven data acquisition systems, providing sophisticated driver training feedback.
Exterior view of the CTAP simulator
View of the CTAP simulator cab
Safety City is one of the driving worlds used in the CTAP simulator.
The CTAP simulator provides all the displays and controls typically found in a truck, including:
- variable resistance force-feedback steering
- a seat transducer providing realistic vibration and road feel
- original equipment manufacturer (OEM) functioning gauges and warning/indicator lights
- an OEM accelerator, brake, and clutch pedal
- an OEM shift tower with a range selector and splitter switch
A view of what the driver can see from inside of the simulator.
The CTAP simulator provides a 215° forward field of view, and two OEM mirrors providing real parallax from two 50-inch LCD screens positioned at the rear of the simulator.
The CTAP simulator can replicate a number of vehicle configurations, including:
- power unit models (including conventional and cab-over tractors along with single-unit trucks)
- trailer models (40', 48' and 53' van trailers)
- trailer configurations
- transmissions (automatic or non-synchronized manual - 9, 10, or 13-speed)
- horsepower and torque curves
The simulator has both automated driving system (ADS) and automated driver assistance systems (ADAS) capabilities.
The driving environments include pre-programmed driving worlds (various roadway types, highways, rural roads, and urban city and suburban neighborhoods) as well as customizable scenarios. Interactive vehicles in the driving environments include configurable ambient traffic, scripted vehicles, and vehicles of various types (cars, trucks and tractor-trailers, emergency vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrian, and bicycles). Work zones, crash scenarios, and programmable vehicle failures (front tire blow out, air pressure loss, etc.) can be generated in a driving environment.
A VTTI data acquisition system (DAS) is networked to the CTAP simulator to record standard driver performance metrics in real time and allow the playback of data synchronized with video. The DAS system includes multiple camera views and an eye-tracking system. The CTAP DAS collects data in the same format as DAS installed in actual trucks. This allows for comparisons between driver performance in the simulator and in real trucks.
In addition to the aforementioned features, the CTAP simulator is highly customizable upon request. Customizable features include geographically specific driving worlds and scenario designs. This allows drivers to experience highly accurate and detailed simulations of real-world driving environments. Vehicle models, the virtual dash, and additional vehicle dynamics can also be developed to match OEM models and according to the client's needs.