Driver-in-the-loop
Canopy’s Driver-in-the-Loop model
The very same vehicle model that lies behind all of Canopy’s groundbreaking offline simulations on the Canopy Platform is available to subscribers for use in real-time applications, such as Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulators.
Canopy’s vehicle model was created by Canopy, from scratch and written in C++. This means that it can be compiled for any computer architecture or operating system. It also means that it can run very fast, easily fast enough to run a 3rd order Runge-Kutta integration scheme at 1kHz major time step (that’s 3 model calls per millisecond) on an average laptop.
All of the model variations and parameterisation options that are available on the platform are also available in the DiL model. In fact the very same car parameter file, in json format, that users can download from the platform is used to parameterise the DiL model on startup. Setup changes between runs are simply a matter of downloading a new car file from the platform and copying it to the correct location on the machine running the physics for the DiL. Simple setup changes can be achieved by directly editing the car parameter file on the DiL machine.
We aim to accommodate any customer requests in terms of the input-output format of the model. Common modifications include using torque values instead of throttle position values for customers wishing to incorporate a manufacturer powertrain model (or physical ECU in the loop); interfacing with a third-party tyre model such as Michelin’s TameTire; or providing inputs for on-the-fly parameter changes controlled by the driver or the operator.
Developments and model features that are released on the platform through a new simulation-version are mirrored in DiL customers’ private downloads section – allowing perfect correlation between offline and real-time simulations at all times.
The model is robust to flying over curbs and colliding with walls or other obstacles. The mass and weight-distribution of the car will change (if desired) as fuel is burned-off during a run. The full thermal tyre model is supported in real-time, with initialization and reset options configurable as desired.
Both hard-real-time platforms and soft real time platforms are supported with the car model being compiled specifically to suit the customer’s system. Both Windows-like and Linux-like systems can be targeted.
If your system is not listed here, please get in touch. It is most likely that we can compile our model for your system/interface as well.