A ground-breaking vehicle dynamics grade DIL simulator for motorcycle applications is being developed to allow manufacturers to evaluate alternative chassis configurations using riders with different styles and ability levels in a controlled, safe environment, with unprecedented repeatability.
UK specialist software company rFpro is supplying simulator software to power this Ansible Motion simulator as well as a number of digital test track models to enable direct comparison with existing physical data. In this article, rFpro Technical Director, Chris Hoyle, dicusses this new simulation area.
“Simulating the dynamics of a motorcycle accurately is incredibly challenging due to the mobility of the rider and the unique steering characteristics of the vehicle,” said rFactor Pro technical director, Chris Hoyle. “By working alongside a motorcycle manufacturer to create our technology, we have been able to develop and validate solutions to these hurdles and so enable DIL simulation to significantly reduce development time and cost.”
Major differences arise between motorcycle applications and other vehicles, because of the completely different steering dynamics and the freedom of the rider to move around on the machine. In a car, the steering angle is an input from the driver and the steer torque is fed back to him as a system output. On a motorcycle the opposite happens; the rider applies a steering torque to the handlebars and the vehicle model calculates the appropriate steering angle for the front wheel.
Read the full article on the Autocar Professional website
