About the Driving Dynamics Lab (DDL)
The Center for Automotive Research’s Driving Dynamics Laboratory (DDL) houses the Vehicle Dynamics Driver-in-the-Loop (VDDiL) simulator providing the functionality to test Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) configurations. The DDL is a research group dedicated to aiding industry partners, government agencies and other Ohio State University research groups. What originally began as a testbed for vehicle dynamics work, the simulator has expanded to test advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Bar none, the integrity of the vehicle dynamic models for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks has been maintained. These high-fidelity models create a solid foundation for the simulator to operate replacing the need for countless prototypes and mule vehicles. From motion cueing to ADAS simulations, the VDDiL provides a realistic virtual driving experience.
This simulator is a solution to the high cost and lack of flexibility that is offered to most research labs. Simulators that focus on vehicle dynamics are limited by their cost, specificity to certain hardware, software and difficulty of use by vehicle dynamicist. Different software configurations allow for flexibility in developmental methods. Here, the VDDiL is a simulator that provides 90% of the functionality at 10% of the cost. Since most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) start vehicle development with similar driving simulators, the VDDiL is positioned to handle similar demands that engineers at those companies face.