Patent ID: 7689395

Claim:
A system for simulating a road test of an automotive vehicle on a simulator adapted to receive the vehicle thereon, the system comprising: electronic memory for storing a set of data representing a desired response from a source vehicle driven over a road surface; and at least one road simulator actuator, having an actuator head supporting a belt configured to drive a wheel on the vehicle, and further having a first plurality of hydraulic actuators capable of imparting forces in a first direction onto the head in response to the data, a second plurality of hydraulic actuators capable of imparting forces in a second direction onto the head in response to the data, and a third hydraulic actuator capable of imparting forces in a third direction onto the head in response to the data, and wherein the hydraulic actuators are configured to move the head in 6 axes of freedom; and an automatic belt-tensioner configured to apply forces to at least one support drum in communication with the belt, and wherein said automatic belt-tensioner functions to automatically adjust the tension of the belt as a function of at least one of belt speed, belt tension or wheel speed, wherein the tensioning mechanism allows for real time lateral guiding of the belt with closed loop control.