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Vehicle Test Turntable for Precision Autonomous Car Calibration

Project Overview

  • Country / Region: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

  • Client Field: Autonomous Logistics & Robot R&D Institute (Cainiao Smart Logistics Network)

  • Equipment Model: BXZ5.0-5.0 Customized Precision Vehicle Test Turntable

  • Rated Load Capacity: 5,000 kg (11,023 lbs)

  • Rotating Platform Diameter: 5,000 mm (16.4 ft) with an installation depth of 700 mm

  • Drive Control System: Siemens Stepper Motor System with Pulse Control Loop

  • Indexing Resolution: 10-degree step increments with an angular error tolerance of ≤±0.5°

  • Integration Method: Floor-Flush Pit Installation (turntable surface aligned perfectly flat with laboratory floor)

This newly designed Vehicle Test Turntable has been custom-developed by our engineering team to provide highly precise angular rotation for autonomous delivery cars. Our client, a leading global smart logistics network, was setting up a state-of-the-art calibration and end-of-line testing facility for their L4 autonomous delivery vehicles.

During the R&D design calibration of the first prototype vehicle and the subsequent mass production testing phases, these unmanned cars must undergo intensive sensor calibration. The vehicle’s onboard LIDAR, optical cameras, and radar sensors must align perfectly with static calibration targets mounted on the laboratory walls.

To achieve scientific-grade sensor calibration, the vehicle must be rotated through precise, repeatable angular steps under automated control. We designed a flush-mounted, high-rigidity 5-ton rotating platform  to provide steady, vibration-free angular increments. The entire electrical and structural safety system is designed in compliance with ISO 12100 safety principles .

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Calibrating highly sensitive L4 autonomous driving sensors requires eliminating environmental variables and mechanical errors during rotation:

  • Zero-Vibration Angular Step Demands: To calibrate LIDAR and high-resolution cameras, the turntable must step precisely at 10-degree increments and pause for exactly 10 seconds. Any mechanical backlash, structural runout, or sudden deceleration vibration can displace the calibration targets, corrupting the sensor data and violating strict ISO 26262 functional safety standard guidelines for road vehicles.

  • Strict Platform Planar Tolerances: To prevent optical sensor distortion, the platform’s top surface must maintain near-perfect flatness (≤±4 mmunevenness) and circularity (≤±3 mm unroundness) across its entire 5-meter diameter. Even a minor structural dip could tilt the vehicle, misaligning its sensors relative to the wall targets.

  • Continuous Dynamic and Static Off-Center Loads: The turntable must support 5-ton vehicles driving on and off continuously. During rotation, the uneven weight distribution of the vehicle’s battery packs and drive axles creates intense off-center loads, demanding a heavy-duty pivot bearing system that resists structural deflection.

Solution

We engineered a dual-scissor mechanical structure combined with motorized sliding extensions and highly precise redundant hydraulics to deliver a stable, flexible inspection platform.

  • Laboratory-Grade Structural Platform Flatness: We fabricated the 5-meter circular frame using heavy-wall structural hollow sections, topped with an 8mm solid steel surface that was precision-machined to guarantee a flatness tolerance within ≤±4 mm and circularity within ≤±3 mm. The entire 4,100 kg assembly was installed inside a 700 mm deep indoor concrete pit, allowing autonomous vehicles to drive seamlessly onto the rotating deck with zero incline change.

  • High-Precision Siemens Stepper Control System: To deliver precise step-indexing, we bypassed standard AC motors and implemented a high-performance Siemens stepper pulse motor. Managed by a central Siemens PLC, the motor is programmed with customized acceleration and deceleration ramps to achieve smooth start/stop motions. This soft-start program completely eliminates backlash and vibration, keeping sensor shake to zero.

  • Intuitive HMI with Complete Overload Protection: The control architecture is operated via an intuitive 10-inch touch screen panel, enabling technicians to configure adjustable rotation speeds from 1 to 6 minutes per turn, step angles in multiples of 10°, and run automated one-key machine resets. Safety features include an overcurrent relay for overload protection and an emergency stop circuit.

If your research center requires a specialized vehicle test turntable to automate sensor calibration, please contact our engineering team  for a factory-direct technical layout and design consultation.

Technical Specifications

Parameter Delivered Specification / Value
Model Designation BXZ5.0-5.0 Precision Vehicle Test Turntable
Rated Load Capacity 5,000 kg (11,023 lbs)
Turntable Platform Diameter
5,000 mm

 (16.4 ft)

Required Installation Space Diameter ≥5,100 mm(16.7 ft)
Platform Flatness Tolerance
≤±4 mm

(0.15 in) across the entire 5m deck

Platform Circularity (Unround)
≤±3 mm

(0.11 in) runout

Max / Min Rotation Speed
1 r/min

 to 0.167 r/min(Adjustable, 1-6 minutes per turn)

Equipment Self-Weight 4,100 kg (9,038 lbs)
Step Angle Configuration 10° indexed increments with ≤±0.5°angular error tolerance
Step Cycle Program Continuous stepping (10° step followed by 10s pause, adjustable)
Rotational Direction Range
±360°

forward/reverse rotation

Drive Motor Specification Siemens high-torque stepper (pulse) motor
Automation Control System Siemens PLC with 10-inch local HMI touchscreen panel
Safety Sensor Interlocks Emergency stop circuit + current relay overload protection
Installation Configuration Indoor 700 mm (27.5 in) concrete pit-mounted (surface aligned flush)
Power Supply Voltage 3-Phase, 380V AC, 50Hz (Industrial Grid Standard)
Platform Exterior Paint High-durability wear-resistant gray powder coating

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