Scale-model vehicle analysis using an off-the-shelf scale-model testing apparatus

A standard exercise treadmill is used to create a scale-model vehicle simulator. The motion of the treadmill beneath the scale-model vehicle simulates the motion of a full-size vehicle on a paved road. The scale-model testing apparatus incorporates off-the-shelf components and commercially available, scale-model vehicles which facilitates the development of the apparatus in an undergraduate setting. An overhead vision system provides a tether-free assessment of the vehicle\´s position and orientation. Dynamic similitude between the scale-model vehicle and an "average" full-size vehicle is achieved through a series of straightforward modifications to the scale-model vehicle. Preliminary results of longitudinal and lateral control designs are presented.