Driver Overview

The Altair Driver is a set of MotionView models and libraries that allows MotionView users to control and script vehicle events.

Example events include:

• Constant Radius Cornering
• Single Lane Change
• Double Lane Change
• User Defined Path Following
• Fish Hook Event, etc.

This is achieved by creating an interface to the five vehicle inputs:

• Steering
• Throttle
• Gear
• Brake
• Clutch

Using Altair Driver you can simulate any number of full vehicle events using these features:

• Scripting - break up the simulation into different maneuvers; select the controllers for vehicle inputs and define conditions that end each maneuver.
• Open-loop, closed-loop, and user-defined controllers to control.
  • Longitudinal speed or acceleration.
  • Vehicle path or lateral acceleration.
• Switching controllers during a simulation.
• Defining path and speed profiles parametrically, in a table, or by referencing a data file.

Architecturally, the Altair Driver is a cluster of signal manager, controller library, and controller manager.

Controller	Logical unit of the driver computes outputs for given inputs.
Controller Library	Library of the available controllers.
Controller Manager	Parses through the Script, Altair Driver File (ADF). This manager does this following: Reads the Altair Driver File. Finds/creates required controllers for the maneuver. Provides information required by the controllers. Removes controller at the end of the maneuver. Passes initial conditions for the next maneuver.
Signal Manager	Manages the inputs to controllers from the vehicle and the world. Conditions (smoothens and saturates) the output signal(s) from the controller(s) and passes it to the vehicle.
End Condition Sensor	Monitors the end conditions and switches the maneuver when the end condition is true.

Figure 1.