Methods and systems for testing coupled hybrid dynamic systems

A test system for testing a coupled hybrid dynamic system corresponding to a vehicle in simulated motion along a virtual path, the test system comprising:

• a physical test rig with at least one actuator configured to test a physical structural component of the vehicle using the at least one actuator;
• memory storing:
• a first virtual model portion of the coupled hybrid dynamic system;
• a second virtual model portion of the coupled hybrid dynamic system,
• the first virtual model portion, the second virtual model portion and the physical structural component comprising the coupled hybrid dynamic system, and
• wherein the first virtual model portion includes a decoupled vehicle part with constraints acting on the decoupled vehicle part;
• data corresponding to a plurality of attachment points defining connections in the coupled hybrid dynamic system;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and the physical test rig and configured to derive a drive that when executed by the processor operates the at least one actuator of the physical test rig,
• the derived drive corresponding to the first virtual model portion, the second virtual model portion and the physical structural component virtually moving together along the path,
• the second virtual model portion receiving
• a first input comprising modeled test data,
• a second input being motion of the first virtual model portion of the coupled hybrid dynamic system, and
• a third input being a response from the physical test rig having the physical structural component under test and
• the first virtual model portion receiving
• a fourth input comprising guidance controls from a virtual guidance control, and
• a fifth input being a response from the physical structural component under test, wherein the derived drive obtained by iteratively applying test drives of the physical test rig until the virtual guidance control for the first virtual model portion is at least negligible when inputs into the first virtual model portion corresponding to the attachment points from a response of the physical test rig to the derived drive properly positions the first virtual model portion to move with the second virtual model portion along the path.