The University of Southampton Vibration and Simulation Laboratory (VibSim) brings together the University’s vibration and human simulation capabilities within a single multidisciplinary facility. Drawing on expertise from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) and the Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, VibSim supports research, teaching and industrial collaboration. VibSim also works closely with ISVR Consulting to support industrial projects.
VibSim combines complementary capabilities in human simulation and engineering vibration testing. Its facilities include a six-axis motion simulator, large electro-hydraulic motion platforms, an instrumented treadmill and a range of electrodynamic shakers. Together, these facilities support studies of human responses to motion and the passenger environment, alongside the dynamic characterisation, durability assessment and qualification of components and engineering systems.
Six-Axis Motion Simulator
The Six-Axis Motion Simulator provides motion in all three translational axes (fore-and-aft, lateral, and vertical) and all three rotational axes (roll, pitch, and yaw). The moving platform is approximately 3 m × 2 m and can support payloads up to 1000 kg. It can accurately reproduce motions in six axes with very low levels of background vibration, waveform distortion, and cross-axis motion.
The simulator allows faithful reproduction of vehicle motion environments recorded in road, off-road, rail, marine and aerospace vehicles. The simulator is used for research on the relative importance of motion, noise, seating, and the thermal environment in vehicles and interactions between these factors. The effects of seat vibration on ride comfort, motion perception, seating dynamics, and postural stability are investigated for seated, standing and walking subjects.
It is also used for commercial testing of vehicle seats, including suspension seats.
Watch a short video showing motion simulator in a sports car
One-metre Vertical and One-metre Horizontal Vibrator
The Vertical and Horizontal single-axis human-rated electro-hydraulic vibrators are used to provide vertical and horizontal oscillation.
Both are capable of reproducing arbitrary time histories with peak-to-peak displacements up to 1 metre and peak accelerations up to 10 m/s-2 and with frequency content from 0 to 50 Hz. The platform of the vertical vibrator is 1 m × 1.5 m, and that of the horizontal vibrator is 1 m × 1.75 m.
The vibrator is used for fundamental and applied research in areas including human perception of vibration, postural stability, human body impedance, seat performance, and motion sickness.
These vibrators are used for testing seats for cars, trucks, off-road machinery, rail vehicles, marine craft and aerospace environments according to current standards or the specific requirements of the customer.
Watch a short video showing a suspension seat under test
(2 min 14 s)
Kistler Gaitway Treadmill
The Kistler Gaitway instrumented treadmill is used for fundamental research into gait analysis and postural stability. It is used to provide a walking task for subjects exposed to whole-body vibration, for example on the six-axis motion simulator. Software automatically calculates more than 25 gait parameters of a human subject when walking on the treadmill. Commercially it can be used to study the effect of vibration and jolts of, for example, a person walking along the aisle of a train carriage or a corridor on ship.
Electrodynamic Shakers
The laboratory houses a comprehensive range of electrodynamic shakers with displacements of up to 50 mm and payload capacities of up to 500 kg. These facilities support engineering testing throughout the product development cycle, including dynamic characterisation, modal testing, durability assessment, fatigue testing and environmental qualification. Computer-controlled systems can reproduce arbitrary vibration profiles, measured service environments and recognised international test standards. Complementing these facilities, an instrumented indenter rig is available for measuring the dynamic stiffness and dynamic performance of compliant components, including seat cushions, suspension seats, springs and dampers.
In addition to engineering applications, the shakers are used for human vibration research. Smaller systems support studies of hand-transmitted vibration, while larger shakers are capable of supporting human subjects for investigations of whole-body vibration, seating dynamics, vibration isolation and human response.
Contact us
If you would like to get in touch about the VibSim Vibration and Simulation Laboratory, please complete the enquiry form with a brief description of your requirements or email vibsim@soton.ac.uk