Darmstadt, Germany, October 2nd , 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced an expanded collaboration with Applus+ IDIADA, a global leader in design, engineering, testing, and homologation services for the automotive industry. This partnership introduces IDIADA's high-fidelity vehicle models - accurate digital twins based on real-world test data - into VI-grade's VI-CarRealTime software for advanced simulation and testing capabilities.
The collaboration represents a significant step forward in virtual vehicle development, enabling automotive OEMs and suppliers to use IDIADA's validated vehicle models in both offline and online simulations on driving simulators through the VI-CarRealTime platform. These models, derived from physical vehicle testing, allow manufacturers to perform in-depth virtual evaluations of vehicle dynamics and performance with customizable parameters such as tire models and payloads, ensuring more flexible and accurate development workflows.
"We are excited to deepen our relationship with VI-grade," said Guido Tosolin, Senior Manager Chassis Development at Applus+ IDIADA. "The integration of our vehicle models into VI-CarRealTime ensures seamless interaction between virtual and physical test environments, enabling our customers to accelerate development cycles while maintaining uncompromising standards of safety and performance."
“This expanded collaboration with Applus+ IDIADA further strengthens our commitment to our Zero Prototypes strategy, bridging the gap between virtual and physical vehicle testing,” commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “By offering vehicle models based on real-world data from IDIADA’s testing facilities, our customers can achieve more accurate simulations and faster development times. This strengthened partnership will greatly enhance their ability to prepare, validate, and refine their vehicle designs in a virtual environment before moving to physical tests.”
Tokyo, Japan, August 7th, 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the inauguration of Asia’s first Simulation & Virtual Testing Lab, S&VL R&D Center in Ota (Gumma), Japan. This new facility is equipped with VI-grade’s DiM300, an advanced large-scale simulator, building on the success of the award-winning DiM150 and DiM250 models, but with extended workspace through longer tripod actuators.
S&VL is a premier Japanese engineering service provider closely collaborating with key players in the Japanese automotive industry. With the opening of the S&VL R&D Center, S&VL will provide high-level virtual testing services to Japanese automobile manufacturers and suppliers. The company aims to solve challenges faced by all manufacturing industries, including enhancing development efficiency, product quality, and shortening development time using digital and virtual technologies.
With the DiM300, S&VL seeks to promote the wider adoption of driving simulators across the automotive industry, providing its customers with an unparalleled simulation and virtual testing environment to streamline automotive development processes. Based on the same patented architecture as VI-grade’s DiM250 model, the DiM300 introduces a host of cutting-edge features, including an extended operating range and higher tripod velocity. It demonstrates an impressive ability to perform large planar displacements with virtually no motion cueing, offering engineers an unprecedented level of realism and versatility.
"The automotive industry is currently facing a once-in-a-century transformation. In order to survive this new era together with the Japanese automobile industry, there is an urgent need to respond to all kinds of changes, including the environmental performance of electric vehicles, the basic performance of driving, turning, and braking, and autonomous driving/advanced safety. What we should strive for is a development process that allows us to assess reliability before manufacturing. We believe this is digital development using a driving simulator. Installing, maintaining, and operating a driving simulator is very costly, but we hope to lower the barriers so that not only automotive OEMs but also suppliers can use it," said Hideyuki Muramatsu, CEO of S&VL.
"With the opening of the Simulation & Virtual Testing Lab, equipped with our state-of-the-art DiM300 simulator, we are excited to support the Japanese automotive industry in pushing the boundaries of vehicle development. This facility represents a significant step forward in providing engineers with the tools they need to enhance development efficiency and accelerate innovation through advanced simulation technologies.”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director of VI-grade.
Darmstadt, Germany, July 31st, 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced that the renowned French sports car manufacturer Alpine Cars has adopted the actuator-based DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator from VI-grade. Following their initial investment in VI-grade’s STATIC and COMPACT Full-Spectrum Simulator, Alpine has now significantly enhanced their simulation capabilities with the DiM250. The simulator will be installed at Alpine’s Engineering Center in France and is expected to be operational by early 2025.
The DiM250 represents a major advancement in Alpine's simulation capabilities. As part of VI-grade's innovative DiM family, these turnkey driving simulation solutions equip automotive engineers with a comprehensive toolset for system-level simulation, effectively bridging the gap between testing and simulation. Already in use by leading automotive OEMs, motorsport teams, and engineering service providers, the DiM250 supports integrated active and passive vehicle dynamics, ride development, ADAS, and NVH applications.
Featuring a nine-degrees-of-freedom moving platform, the DiM250 delivers enhanced motion feedback to the driver. This advanced design surpasses basic six-actuator systems, offering a larger workspace while maintaining high stiffness. It is ideally suited for analyzing both vehicle dynamics and ride characteristics, capturing the full spectrum of performance metrics essential for automotive chassis design.
With the integration of the DiM250, Alpine is set to tackle the Zero Prototypes Challenge, aiming to minimize reliance on physical prototypes. This strategic move will significantly enhance efficiency in evaluating vehicle parameters and overall performance, accelerating the development of Alpine's future models.
“The ambition of the Alpine brand is strong with a complete and unique vehicle line-up and a desire for international expansion. We position ourselves as the high-tech laboratory of the Renault group. Digital is a fundamental pillar of our strategy to always do better and faster for our customers. Investment in this direction continues and accelerates with the acquisition of a DiM250 driving simulator after a recent investment in a static driving simulator and a Compact FSS from VI-grade” commented Renaud Hantz, Customer Attributes Performance Director at Alpine Cars.
“We are thrilled to support Alpine Cars with our DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator. Alpine’s choice to adopt this technology highlights their forward-thinking approach and dedication to winning the Zero Prototypes challenge and reducing development cycles through advanced simulation. We look forward to seeing the remarkable advancements they will achieve with this integration.”, commented Alessio Lombardi, EMEA & America Sales Director at VI-grade.
Udine, Italy, July 18th , 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground for VI-WorldSim.
The VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground is a comprehensive digital testing facility, meticulously designed to meet the diverse needs of automotive engineers and researchers. With its vast array of features and testing scenarios, it promises to significantly reduce development time and costs while enhancing the overall quality and safety of vehicles.
Key features of the VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground include:
High-speed Ring: An 8.6 km track with four lanes and a maximum banking angle of 11 degrees, perfect for high-speed testing and aerodynamic evaluations.
EU/USA Highways: A 2 km stretch simulating both European and American highway conditions, enabling cross-market vehicle development.
Specialized Testing Areas: Including ride lanes with various surface types, a 3.2 km handling track, a 1.15 km rally track, and a 2.4 km country road based on real-world laser scan data.
ADAS Testing: A dedicated area for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems evaluation, crucial for the development of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.
Diverse Road Conditions: Featuring ramps with varying gradients, event lanes with different surface irregularities, and specialized areas for split friction coefficient testing and wet condition simulations.
"The VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground represents a significative advancement in virtual vehicle development," said Dave Bogema, Senior Director of Product Management, VI-grade. "By providing a comprehensive, highly realistic testing environment, we're enabling our clients to push the boundaries of innovation while significantly reducing the time and resources typically required for physical prototyping and testing."
The VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground is fully integrated with VI-WorldSim, the company's advanced simulation software, allowing for seamless implementation into existing development workflows. This integration ensures that automotive companies can leverage their current investments in VI-grade technologies while accessing this cutting-edge virtual proving ground.
The launch of the VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground comes at a critical time for the automotive industry, as manufacturers face increasing pressure to develop safer, more efficient, and technologically advanced vehicles in shorter timeframes. This virtual environment is expected to play a crucial role in meeting these challenges head-on.
For more information about the VI-grade Virtual Proving Ground, follow this link.
Darmstadt, Germany, July 3rd, 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with STEP Lab, an industry leader in the design and manufacture of static, dynamic and impact testing machines. This collaboration aims to provide a comprehensive solution in Mechanical Hardware-in-the-Loop (mHiL) for shock absorbers in automotive applications.
The partnership between VI-grade and STEP Lab is designed to provide the market with a turnkey solution that addresses the challenges of integrating advanced technology into industrial applications. By combining the expertise of both companies, the collaboration aims to deliver a fully integrated mHiL solution for shock absorbers, streamlining the development process and reducing the complexity and time required for implementing advanced testing systems in the automotive industry. This comprehensive approach also includes active and semi-active suspension systems and advanced control strategies, leveraging VI-grade's real-time AutoHawk platform and robust software stack.
Key Benefits for Customers:
Time Efficiency: Customers will benefit from interacting with a single partner responsible for the entire system, significantly reducing development times compared to setting up the final solution with multiple partners.
Cost Efficiency: Project costs are optimized through a pre-existing, functional solution, eliminating the need for extensive individual setups.
Application Reliability: Having previously collaborated on similar solutions, VI-grade and Step Lab ensure a reliable and tested approach, enhancing overall project success.
Unified Project Leadership: Customers will interact with the same partner for all aspects of the project, from preliminary definition to final commissioning, ensuring consistency and clarity throughout the process.
Ruggero Baesso, Owner and Founder of STEP Lab, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration: "Partnering with VI-grade marks a significant step forward in advancing Mechanical Hardware-in-the-Loop solutions for the automotive sector. Our goal with this partnership is to achieve a 30% reduction in time to market for automotive shock absorber systems, providing a notable advantage for manufacturers. Combining our mechanical testing expertise with VI-grade's simulation technology, we aim to deliver a comprehensive and efficient solution tailored to industry needs."
“We are excited to enter this strategic partnership with STEP Lab to provide a comprehensive Mechanical Hardware-in-the-Loop solution for automotive shock absorbers”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “This partnership will allow us to offer our customers a unique, integrated solution that enhances development efficiency and reduces time-to-market. By leveraging Step Lab's expertise in mechanical testing and our advanced software capabilities, we can deliver a reliable and cost-effective solution that meets the evolving needs of the automotive industry,"
To see the partnership in action, watch this demo video of a Damper-in-the-Loop system – real-life component testing with VI-CarRealTime on AutoHawk. This demonstration was presented by STEP Lab at VI-grade's 2024 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit in May 2024 at SimCenter Udine.
Wolfsburg, Germany, June 27th , 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the inauguration of the first-ever Zero Prototype Lab by the renowned engineering services provider, EDAG Group, in Wolfsburg, Germany. This pioneering facility features VI-grade’s advanced DiM500 FSS (Driver-in-Motion Full Spectrum) Simulator, a state-of-the-art, real-time Driver-in-the-Loop simulator that delivers a comprehensive experience with precise motion, vibration, and sound ranging from 0 to 20kHz. As a complement to the DiM500 FSS, the lab also features VI-grade’s COMPACT Full Spectrum Simulator and an additional AutoHawk Hardware-in-the-Loop platform, which can seamlessly connect driving simulators to both existing and future hardware-in-the-loop systems.
The Zero Prototype Lab is available to anyone in the global automotive market interested in embarking on the Road to Zero Prototypes with virtual test drives and subjective evaluations of new vehicles. Critical functions, such as autonomous driving, steering, braking, and acceleration, can be tested in conjunction with driving systems. This innovative approach reduces the need for costly prototypes and shortens development cycles. Additionally, it enables the optimization of driving dynamics in virtual environments, independent of seasonal weather constraints. Overall, the lab’s operations will contribute to reducing material and resource usage, thus minimizing the CO2 footprint of the vehicle development process.
"With the opening of the Zero Prototype Lab, we are pioneering a new era in vehicle development. Technology developers and vehicle manufacturers worldwide can now streamline their development processes, working faster, more efficiently, and more sustainably through precise simulation," explains Harald Keller, CEO of the EDAG Group. "In this way, we are driving forward the pervasive change in vehicle development and the mobility industry, fostering forward-looking value creation."
“We are proud that our Driver-in-Motion Full-Spectrum Simulator is at the heart of the new EDAG Zero Prototype Lab,” adds Guido Bairati, Managing Director of VI-grade. "With the DiM FSS, our most powerful simulator to date, EDAG is taking its engineering services to an unprecedented level. The DiM FSS simulator is a quantum leap in experimental simulation, seamlessly integrating driving dynamics, motion, vibration and sound into an immersive experience. I am looking forward to the exciting customer projects that will be created in this pioneering facility and will shape the mobility of tomorrow.
Stuttgart, Germany, June 5th , 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the launch of its Driver-in-Motion Full Spectrum (DiM FSS) Simulator, which was exclusively debuted at VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit in May. This groundbreaking technology is a true game-changer in experimental simulation, earning VI-grade the Automotive Testing Technology International Award for “Hardware Innovation of the Year.” This prestigious award was presented to VI-grade on June 4th at the 2024 Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart, Germany.
The Driver-in-Motion Full Spectrum Dynamic Simulator (DiM FSS) is a real-time, Driver-in-the-Loop simulator that offers a comprehensive experience of accurate motion, vibration, and sound over a complete spectrum from 0 to 20kHz. It is the first simulator capable of generating full vehicle motion with 9 degrees of freedom over a multi-meter workspace, paired with precise sound and vibration, creating a fully immersive experience. This innovation results from VI-grade's proven expertise in vehicle dynamics and NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) simulation.
Historically, vehicle dynamics and NVH evaluations were conducted separately, even though driving integrates dynamics, ride quality, sound, and vibration. The most effective evaluation method combines these elements into a single simulation. The DiM FSS addresses this unmet demand through its multi-stage system, capturing vehicle dynamics, motion, vibration, and sound for a holistic, realistic experience.
To achieve this, the DiM FSS utilizes a three-stage approach:
Lower Stage: Delivers primary vehicle motion.
Middle Stage: Provides full 6 DOF motion.
Hyperdock Stage: Features a highly optimized carbon-fiber cockpit that delivers high-frequency vibration through transducers at key driver touchpoints, while sound is provided through in-cockpit speakers or headphones.
This innovative design reduces mass, increases structural stiffness, and enhances overall simulation performance, providing the most immersive environment for multi-attribute evaluation. Additionally, all VI-grade actuator-based and cable-driven dynamic simulators can be upgraded with the new Hyperdock.
"I am thrilled to announce the launch of our DiM FSS Simulator, marking a significant advancement in our multi-attribute journey," commented David Bogema, Senior Director, Product Management at VI-grade. "The DiM FSS Simulator represents a quantum leap in experimental simulation, seamlessly integrating vehicle dynamics, motion, vibration, and sound into one immersive experience. We are also proud of the rapid commercial success it has already achieved. Two units have already been sold, with the first one to be delivered to our customer in a few weeks."
Darmstadt, Germany, May 29th , 2024 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Rohde & Schwarz, a global technology group dedicated to creating a safer and more connected world. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the field of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems / Automated Driving (ADAS / AD) testing.
The core of this partnership involves interfacing the advanced Rohde & Schwarz automotive radar test system (RTS) with VI-grade's suite of driving simulators. This integration provides a seamless testing environment, combining simulation models, driving simulators for Driver-in-the-Loop, enabling comprehensive testing of real radar sensors within a virtual setting. The extremely versatile RTS consists of the R&S AREG800A automotive radar echo generator together with the R&S QAT100 advanced antenna array and provides vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers with the ability to simulate ADAS/AD scenarios like those defined in the Euro NCAP in a precise and repeatable way.
The aim of this collaboration is to provide an integrated solution that facilitates ADAS/AD testing in a controlled laboratory environment. This combined approach allows automotive manufacturers to evaluate vehicle performance and safety features more efficiently and effectively, thereby reducing the need for extensive real-world testing. The benefits for customers are significant: by testing real radar systems in a virtual environment, manufacturers can conduct safer and more cost-effective development processes. This method minimizes the risks associated with on-road testing of real prototypes, enhancing safety and lowering development costs.
"Partnering with VI-grade for driver-in-the-loop test is another important step to support our customers in all phases during the development of radar sensors from early research with chip suppliers to R&D and production at TIER1s and OEMs. We are proud that VI-grade selected Rohde & Schwarz products to complete their test portfolio” commented Stephane Blanchon Business Development Manager Automotive for Southern Europe at Rohde & Schwarz.
“We are excited to enter this strategic partnership with Rohde & Schwarz. By integrating their advanced automotive radar test system with our driving simulators, we are providing a comprehensive solution that addresses the complex challenges of ADAS development, ensuring vehicles are equipped with the most robust and reliable safety systems”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade.
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