“It takes two to tango, but three to build a simulator,” says Johan Granström, Sales & Marketing Manager for Oryx Simulations AB. Oryx, a spin-out company from Umeå University, specializes in building simulators for applications as wide ranging as excavation, drilling and mining, forestry harvesting and container handling.

Granström explains that each of its simulators call on three areas of expertise: the machine manufacturer for the original machine design know-how; a training organisation that interprets what the operator needs to learn in order to correctly, efficiently and safely manipulate the equipment; and Oryx’s expert real-time simulation and visualization skills, to bring the project to reality. Notably, whilst Oryx’s spin-out was supported by Komatsu Forest, which remains one of its principal shareholders, the company now works with many other well-known names in heavy industry, such as ABB Cranes, Atlas Copco, Kalmar Industries and Volvo Construction Equipment.

What makes Oryx’s simulators unique is their uncanny ability to replicate a machine’s real environment to the smallest detail. This means not only reproducing the operator’s cabin in its entirety, but also being able to imitate the weight and pressure experienced by the machine in a particular situation. For example, an excavator operator feels the weight and resistance when digging, a tree harvester operator feels the weight of the tree and the STS crane operator experiences how sudden action will affect the pendulum movement of a container. “The simulation extends as far as being able to reproduce how the machine will react in different weather conditions, for example, how rain will reduce the friction between the vehicle and the ground,” adds Granström.

Each cabin sits on either an electric or hydraulic motion platform that responds to the operator’s commands in real-time. In addition, up to five flat screens are mounted like windows in a real cabin to provide further realism. However, it is Oryx’s advanced algorithms, generating billions of calculations in a fraction of a second, which are the key to making the system move and behave just like the real machine.

With so many inputs and output signals to manage, the most complex part of the simulator development is the communication between software and hardware, according to Granström. Oryx chose the CAN protocol to manage this, not only because of its popularity in the machine industry, but also because of its cost-effectiveness and stability.

Each machine has one or more Kvaser’s PCIcanx cards within the simulation computer, handling CAN communication between the simulation software and the machine’s interfaces. Granström notes: “We selected Kvaser as our supplier partly because of our geographic proximity, but also because of their flexibility and the help they offered during the development process. Kvaser’s products offer great Linux compatibility, which is crucial because all our simulators are based on Linux. We are also using Kvaser drivers and SDK kit.”

Oryx’s capacity to transform advanced simulation into intuitive and easy-to-use training tools is reaping benefits for customers and end users alike. For trainee operators, simulation results in a steeper learning curve, allowing them to concentrate on improving their skill without worrying about the consequences of a mistake. Another value is safety. Notes Granström: “Damages and injuries are common during basic training, so simulation removes the risk to personnel and equipment.” For training organizations, simulation allows the instructor to closely scrutinize students’ progress, whilst also enabling them to be exposed to dangerous and/or infrequent situations, such as a landslide. Meanwhile, fleet owners benefit from decreased wear and tear on vehicles, reduced fuels costs, plus the ability to monitor operator skill and productivity more rigorously than otherwise. Oryx’s simulators are also being used for research into psychological factors, such as how operators are affected by stress or by different environmental conditions, and for conceptual studies involving new levers or joysticks, or new control systems for example.

With a solid team of software and hardware developers within the company, plus a large network of competence to draw upon in Northern Sweden, Oryx’s simulation business looks set to simmer! Kvaser heartily congratulates Oryx on its achievements.