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Advanced Driving Simulator for Vehicle Testing
Simtec engineered a suspended driving simulator for DLR, enabling real-world vehicle testing in height-restricted facilities.
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HEXaDRIVE® Hover: Suspended 6-DOF Motion
The suspended 6-DOF architecture combines a generous motion envelope with responsive multi-axis dynamics. It provides the motion range and agility required for advanced simulation and research applications.
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Product Description
HEXaDRIVE® Hover is Simtec’s suspended 6-DOF motion system for simulation, research, and testing applications, with the payload positioned below the upper actuator structure. This allows cabins, vehicles, and other test setups to be brought close to floor level for loading and access. At the same time, the upper actuator joints define the highest points of the moving system and can operate close to the surrounding spatial boundaries, allowing more of the available installation space to be used for the required motion envelope.
Originally developed around the requirements of dynamic driving simulation, HEXaDRIVE® Hover has since evolved into a versatile motion system for a much broader range of simulation and research applications. Its suspended architecture is particularly well suited to projects where the integration of the payload and the efficient use of the available installation space are central to the overall system concept.
Suspended 6-DOF Architecture
The payload is positioned below the upper actuator structure rather than on top of the motion platform, creating a different integration geometry while providing motion across all six translational and rotational degrees of freedom.
Floor-Level Loading & Access
Cabins, vehicles, and other test setups can be lowered close to floor level, allowing people or payloads to enter and leave the system without the elevated loading position of a conventional platform-mounted hexapod.
More Motion Within the Available Space
With the upper actuator joints forming the outermost points of the moving structure, HEXaDRIVE® Hover can make extensive use of the available installation space and bring the motion system close to surrounding spatial boundaries.
Rotation Axis Above the Occupants
In configurations with occupants, the rotation axis — particularly for pitch — is positioned above their heads. This shortens the lever arm between the rotation center and the occupant reference point and creates coherent motion cues for driving and simulation applications.
Flexible Payload Integration
The suspended architecture can be configured around different payload geometries, from compact driver environments and cabins to complete vehicle-based simulator setups and other application-specific structures.
Large Horizontal Travel
HEXaDRIVE® Hover provides substantial horizontal travel without a separate linear sledge — particularly relevant for maneuvers such as fast lane changes in dynamic driving simulation. Its parallel-kinematic design avoids the additional mechanical stage of a serial setup and its associated friction and stiffness considerations.
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Engineered Around Your Test
The motion requirements, payload characteristics, and available installation space determine how a HEXaDRIVE® Hover system is configured. Simtec configures the motion system around these requirements — from the required travel and dynamics to the system dimensions and the mechanical interface to the customer’s cabin, mock-up, or test object.
Application-specific carriers and interfaces can be engineered to connect the payload to the motion system and accommodate the requirements of the respective setup. Where additional measurement is required, suitable instrumentation and sensor technology can be integrated into the test environment and embedded within HEXaCONTROL for centralized control, monitoring, and data acquisition.
For applications based on real-world motion profiles, Simtec’s MDAS can be used to capture translational accelerations and rotational rates in the field and transfer the recorded motion data to the HEXaDRIVE® Hover for reproduction within the system’s performance envelope. Additional external systems and simulation interfaces can be integrated as required.
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HEXaDRIVE® Hover Specifications
HEXaDRIVE® Hover is configured around the motion requirements, payload, and available installation space of each application. The values below illustrate two reference configurations and provide an indication of the motion range and performance that can be achieved. Final system dimensions and performance are defined according to the specific project requirements.
Large Travel
A reference configuration for larger simulator setups with extended translational motion and space for larger cabins or vehicle-based setups.
Payload
up to 2,500 kg
Horizontal Travel
approx. ±1.5 m
Vertical Travel
approx. −1.5 / +1.3 m
Rotational Range
approx. ±20°
Linear Acceleration
up to ±10 m/s²
Small Travel
A reference configuration for more compact simulator setups with a smaller translational motion envelope.
Payload
up to 750 kg
Horizontal Travel
approx. ±0.7 m
Vertical Travel
approx. −0.6 / +0.5 m
Rotational Range
approx. ±20°
Linear Acceleration
up to ±10 m/s²
Testimonial
“Simtec’s simulators bring real-world conditions into a controlled environment.“
The German Aerospace Center (DLR)
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Alexander Bresinsky
Director Business Development
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HEXaDRIVE® Hover: Pioneering Test Rig Manufacturing & Motion Simulation
Suspended 6-DOF Motion Platforms for Diverse Industrial Testing and Research
As a world-class test rig manufacturer, Simtec Systems sets new benchmarks in advanced motion simulation with the HEXaDRIVE® Hover. This versatile platform utilizes an inverted 6-DOF motion architecture specifically engineered to replicate high-fidelity physical kinetics across a broad spectrum of commercial industries and research laboratories.
Unlike conventional test stands, our suspended design allows for barrier-free entry and extensive structural flexibility, making it an elite selection for heavy cargo validation, human factors research, and specialized SCR testing arrays where onboard components face continuous inertial stress. To maximize data depth, this system integrates seamlessly with our advanced environmental simulation dome. This high-tech configuration empowers operators to synchronize rigorous multi-axis dynamic maneuvers alongside rapid temperature loops, absolute altitude pressure shifts, and relative humidity variables simultaneously within one enclosed setup.
By combining real-time PC-based automated control with an inclusive, highly stable mechanical footprint, Simtec delivers an absolute validation loop that keeps your data completely traceable, repeatable, and compliant for stringent certification audits worldwide. Discover how our modular systems bring realistic, controllable environment profiles directly into your core R&D pipelines today.
Bespoke Custom Test Rigs for Unprecedented Multi-Axis Challenges
When specialized engineering goals demand unique parameters beyond standard catalog configurations, Simtec applies its profound multi-disciplinary capabilities to build bespoke custom test rigs completely from scratch.
We understand that full-scale vehicle integration, offshore marine trials, and advanced human factors studies require highly specific technical boundaries. Our team designs and manufactures unique custom motion solutions that integrate open software architectures, localized safety networks, and tailored media conditioning layouts flawlessly. By executing structured design gates under our strict quality management system, we deliver robust, high-performance custom test solutions demonstrably engineered for an extended, low-maintenance operational lifespan of at least twenty years.
Partner with Simtec to solve your most complex dynamic challenges with absolute engineering precision.
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