Have you ever wanted to slip behind the wheel of a new Mercedes and push it to the capacity claimed in the specs? Meet the Mercedes-Benz driving simulator, perhaps the most powerful in the industry. It is poised to change the evolution of driving simulation, with a 360° screen, fast electric power system and a 12-meter rail offering transverse or longitudinal movements.
The first driving simulator was developed in-house at the Daimler-Benz research center in Berlin-Marienfelde over 25 years ago. It could be fun to test-drive our Mercedes rentals in this…just not as intense as taking the gullwing out on track events.
The simulator does not replace real test drives. The simulator will enable systems and components for future Mercedes models to be tested throughout all development phases with safety and confidence.
It is called the “Moving Base” simulator and has been in operation since the end of 2010. It comes in handy when conducting time trials with test subjects and allows everyday drivers to push and test the limits of a car, without danger. The driving simulator provides Mercedes-Benz with valuable information about vehicle limits and performance. Safety systems can be tested and all systems can be in sync prior to real road testing. Now everyone can experience the adrenaline of an F1 driver! Ok, perhaps not that extreme, but interesting nonetheless!
The simulator calculates the behavior of the car over 1000 times per second.
Some energy is recovered from the braking system and used to power the simulator. Very green!
How it works:
The simulator features a cab attached to a hexapod with six movable supports. A complete Mercedes model fits inside, and the 360-degree projection screen wraps around it, depicting various driving scenarios such as traffic, pedestrians and moving obstacles. Basically, when the driver accelerates, turns the wheel and applies the brakes, the reactions are registered by the computer control system and portray the same effect as they would in reality. The display screen changes constantly, to simulate driving down a road, and the movements of the hexapod combine to create what feels like a Mercedes in motion.
The exterior is quite unassuming!
The clip above show the simulator in action!
Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals