High Performance Moog Motion Bases Make FAAC Military Driving Simulators Feel Real for Operators

When it comes to training soldiers and Marines to operate ground vehicles, Moog’s technology ensures a driver simulator feels every bit as true and tactile as the real thing. Moog is supplying and supporting the high-performance electric motion systems that underpin FAAC Incorporated's latest-generation driver simulators. These simulators include the MATV and MRAP Cougar vehicles. At I/ITSEC 2011 in Orlando, Fla. (Nov.28 - Dec 1), FAAC will be showcasing an Operator Driving Simulator on a Moog 6-DOF motion platform.  In its booth, Moog will display the technology behind the motion systems that make the realism and high performance possible.

FAAC simulators use a Moog six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) light-payload (MB-E-6DOF/12/1000KG) electric motion base and a Moog 3DOF seat motion base (MB-E-3DOF/3/227KG). The Moog 6DOF motion base is a six-legged hexapod design on top of which rests a simulator’s driver cabin. The 6DOF motion base features six brushless servomotor-sealed actuators with technology that helps provide the feel of maneuvering across roads and hills. The 3DOF seat motion base has similar technology and a smaller footprint than the 6DOF.

Moog designed the 3DOF seat motion base in conjunction with FAAC to provide the feel of combat operations for a single occupant. FAAC has used two of these bases in a single trainer to simulate the driving experiences for the driver and passenger. In addition to greater realism, Moog’s technology also offers longer life, reduced vibration and less acoustic noise. 

Longer life and smoother operation for a motion system is critical, as training simulators are typically operating around the clock in facilities used for driver and crew training. FAAC and Moog recently enhanced the software (i.e., close-loop control files) for Moog’s motion bases to give driver trainees the feel of traveling down an array of road surfaces such as cobblestones or bricks. Realtime Technologies, Inc. – a division of FAAC and a provider of engineering level simulations and real-time tools – provides the motion cueing that is part of Moog motion seat and full motion systems.

“Our objective is to provide an immersive experience for an operator so they believe they are actually operating a vehicle,” said Kurt A. Flosky, executive vice president of FAAC Incorporated, part of Arotech Corporation’s Training & Simulation Division. “The fidelity these motion bases offer is a major reason why expert drivers judge our simulations to be as real as it gets.”

“We purchased Moog’s Serial Number One 6DOF electric motion base in the early 1990s and co-developed a seat motion system purpose built for vehicle simulation in 2009,” added Flosky. “Moog continues to support each of the motion platforms by improving algorithms and refining the feel a driver gets in the simulator.”

Moog, a global designer and manufacturer of high performance motion control for flight simulation and driver and crew training, provides highly realistic motion bases, g-seats and control loading systems. “Our Electric Motion Bases help produce a cost-effective and safe training experience that feels like combat,” said Charles Bartel Jr., Moog’s product application manager for simulation. 

At I/ITSEC 2011, Moog and FAAC occupy booth #1720 and #1907, respectively, at the Orange County Convention Center. (28 November 2011) 

About Moog

Moog Inc. is a worldwide designer, manufacturer and integrator of precision control components and systems. Moog’s Industrial Group designs and manufactures high performance motion control solutions combining electric, hydraulic and hybrid technologies with expert consultative support in a range of applications including energy production and generation machinery, industrial production machinery and simulation and test equipment. We help performance-driven companies design and develop their next-generation machines. Moog Industrial Group, with fiscal year 2011 sales of USD 629 million and over 40 locations worldwide, is part of Moog Inc. (NYSE:MOG.A and MOG.B) which has sales of  USD  2.3 billion. For more information please visit www.moog.com/industrial.

About FAAC

FAAC is a world leader in providing simulation based training solutions for military, law enforcement, security, municipal and private industry applications. FAAC is member of the Training and Simulation Division of Arotech Corporation (NasdaqGM: ARTX). Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this release include forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed in Arotech’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information please visit www.faac.com.