Gamification of control valves in real-time multibody simulation of an excavator

Multibody simulation of heavy machinery such as excavators, wheel loaders, and tractors is highly influenced by parameters of hydraulic components such as the control valves. The objective of this study is to introduce gamification to parameterize the flow characteristics of control valves in real-time multibody simulation of an excavator. To this end, the mechanics of the excavator is modeled using a semirecursive multibody method and the hydraulics is modeled using the lumped fluid method. The gamification concept is introduced using game elements and game-design techniques in a nongame context. Using the excavator case example, various tests with increasing level of difficulty are performed on a simulator. The results of this study exhibit the utility of such a gamified simulation model in various phases of user training and product development.