Head Haptic Device for Driving Simulation: Definition of Requirements and Testing Through a Collaborative Robot

Driving simulators are widely used for vehicle testing, driver training, and rehabilitation, where the quality of immersion depends largely on reproducing realistic motion sensations. However, the kinematic and dynamic limitations of motion platforms, typically based on parallel kinematic mechanisms, prevent full replication of real driving accelerations, particularly in amplitude and duration. This study addresses the challenge of generating controlled head-based force cues associated with part of the inertial loading experienced during driving, which is difficult to reproduce using the motion platform alone. A haptic device concept is proposed to generate such cues, and a feasibility study is carried out to define the specification for future implementation of a robotic system integrated with the driving simulator. Numerical simulations of a race vehicle are performed to characterize the acceleration components relevant to the proposed haptic cueing strategy. Based on these results, a mockup collaborative robotic cell is designed, developed, and coupled, as a first step, with a static simulator, featuring direct real-time control. The work lays the foundation for future industrial development and scaling of robotic haptic systems for advanced driving simulators.