Driving simulator motion base right sizing

Driving simulator motion bases are available having various mechanisms and characteristics; among them, the synergistic 6DoF hexapod-type integrated with a sliding rail is the most commonly used. There is a large variety in workspaces (sizes) of both the hexapod and sliding rail used in research and training simulators, and there lacks consensus on what size of motion base is really needed in order to have high fidelity motion cueing. In this paper we introduce an approach that balances between having high fidelity motion cueing and at the same time addressing the minimum size requirement to reduce the purchase cost. A conventional classic motion cueing algorithm (MCA) is used together with an optimization method to establish the minimum workspace requirement, while meeting the fidelity criteria defined in literature. The right sizing requirements are driving task dependent, so in order to test this method, low and high motion-demanding driving tasks are tested using the experimental data collected from professional drivers. A standard (high) and a reduced (low) amount of tilt coordination is selected, showing how this defines a range of rail sizes to consider.