Darmstadt, Germany, June 14th, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the launch of Autohawk, its new Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) solution for automotive applications. Employing the most advanced open Real Time Operating System (RTOS) available in the marketplace today, AutoHawk is powered by Concurrent Real-Time’s industry leading HiL technology. AutoHawk perfectly addresses the industry’s demand for a cost-effective, complete, and open solution comprising hardware, software and integration services.

VI-grade’s new HiL platform, based on leading multi-core technology from Concurrent Real-Time, addresses the need for a flexible solution that can cost-effectively validate all different electronic control units (ECUs). Innovative HiL solutions are also needed to test electric vehicles (EVs) and to validate the function of the battery unit and other power electronics components. 

“AutoHawk, our new, flexible HiL platform, can be used across the entire development cycle, from concept to sign-off”, said Christoph Ortmann, Vice President for HiL applications at VI-grade. “It consists of real-time hardware, real-time OS, real-time software and I/O cards and is highly configurable, since both VI-grade real-time software and 3rd party software can be installed on it. AutoHawk also operates as a stand-alone Linux based high-power computer, as a HiL system or in combination with a driving simulator or on a real vehicle.”

“We are excited to add AutoHawk to the sizable and rapidly growing automotive HiL testing market.” commented Ken Jackson, President, Concurrent Real-Time (part of HBK’s Virtual Test Division). “AutoHawk is our joint response to the growing need for HiL testing due to the increasing number of ECUs installed in modern vehicles to take care of active chassis controls and of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) capabilities.”

“The HiL market is critical for driving innovation and allowing us to leverage our core competencies and experience in driving simulation and simulators”, added Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “Our vision is to build an integrated, virtual test approach with Hardware-in the loop being an essential component of the development process. This will enable our customers to decrease the number of physical prototypes throughout the entire development cycle and to ultimately achieve virtual sign-off.”

VI-grade recently introduced AutoHawk at the 2022 VI-grade ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit in May, 2022, and will officially launch the new HiL platform at Automotive Testing Expo Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, June 21-23, making it available to be experienced live and in action at the VI-grade booth (#8515) in Hall 8. Registration to the Exposition is open to all and free-of-charge at https://www.testing-expo.com/europe/en/register.php.  

Udine, Italy, June 1st, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the official recap of its 2022 ”ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit” (ZPS), held on May 18 – 19, 2022. Over 220 representatives from major automotive and transportation OEMs, Tier1 suppliers, motorsport teams, research centers and partner companies gathered in person for the two-day ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit at SimCenter Udine, VI-grade's state-of-the-art technology in the north-east of Italy. In addition to the in-person event, a virtual event, simultaneously broadcast live all summit content and attracted over 800 registered participants from more than 42 different countries. More importantly, 100% of attendees surveyed after the summit indicated their intent to attend again in 2023, a ringing endorsement of the valuable insights and information provided by the ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit.

ZPS2022 SPEAKERS

Targeted at innovators in the global automotive industry, the 2-day event provided the VI-grade community with exclusive insights into the methods simulation thought leaders use to succeed in their quest towards achieving zero prototypes, and the important role VI-grade’s advanced simulation solutions play in that quest. Keynote and Technical Presentations on Day 1 included Pirelli Tyre, Volvo Cars / Royal Institute of Technology, McMaster University, Applus+ IDIADA, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Automobili Lamborghini / Bridgestone, Danisi Engineering / Meccanica 42, UTAC, Politecnico di Milano and Multimatic Inc.

Day 2 featured high-level presentations from General Motors, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH, University of Windsor, MegaRide / BE CAE Test, Technische Universität Dresden, Ford Werke GmbH and HORIBA MIRA.


This year's “ZPS Best Paper Award” was awarded ex-aequo to

• Giuseppe Sgoluppi from Automobili Lamborghini and Alfredo Corollaro from Bridgestone EMIA, who held a joint presentation titled “Optimal Coupling of Suspensions Set-up and Tire Dynamic Footprint through FEM Modeling and Driver-in-the-Loop Approach”, and
• Guido Tosolin from Applus+ IDIADA, who co-authored a paper with Mahindra & Mahindra titled “Achieving World-Class Dynamics Performance of the New XUV 700 and Cutting Down Development Time and Cost Using a Driving Simulator”.

All presentations were recorded and are now accessible on the VI-grade website and YouTube channel. At this link the official after-event video trailer of VI-grade’s 2022 ZERO PROTOYPES Summit can be found.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE AT ZPS2022

The ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit was also a platform for announcements pertaining to VI-grade’s business and product development achievements:

• AutoHawk, VI-grade’s new HiL solution powered by Concurrent Real-Time, was officially launched and presented to all Summit attendees in dedicated, live demo sessions. For further information on AutoHawk, please follow this link. 
• Leading automotive engineering services company HORIBA MIRA announced the adoption of VI-grade’s DiM250, further enhancing its proprietary approach to driver-centric and qualitative vehicle attribute engineering. The new DYNAMIC Driving Simulator will be the first facility of its kind installed in the UK
• UniBo Motorsport (ICE) and Squadra Corse Politecnico di Torino EV respectively won first place in the 2022 edition of the Virtual Formula competition, in the Internal Combustion and the Electric Vehicle category. The teams will be awarded with industry-leading Fanatec hardware and VI-grade software required to upgrade the team’s Windows PC to a fully functional VI-grade DESKTOP Simulator. The winners will also receive a one-days session at VI-grade’s SimCenter Udine

“We are truly impressed with the high degree of interest shown by our community for this event, as evidenced by the number of attendees for both the in-person and the virtual edition of our 2022 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit,” commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “It all started 8 months ago with the idea of bringing our customers, partners, sponsors, and colleagues to the place where our software and simulators are developed and tested. For the first time, we decided not to bring the tools to the conference, but to move the conference to where the tools are. Despite numerous obstacles and challenges, we are exceedingly pleased with the outcome of our first hybrid event. We are very grateful to our loyal community and proud of the relationship we have forged over the years.”

INDUSTRY SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following 28 industry sponsors and partners for their support of the ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit:

• PLATINUM Sponsors: Applus+ IDIADA, Danisi Engineering, Rebel Dynamics, MegaRide, SAGInoMIYA
• GOLD Sponsors: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, HORIBA MIRA, Imtec Engineering, Multimatic, Rescale, Smart Eye
• SILVER Sponsors: 3D Mapping Solutions, BeamNG.tech, cosin scientific software, domeprojection.com, Fraunhofer ITWM, Konrad Technologies, Meccanica 42, Vioso
• BRONZE Sponsors: Almatec, BE CAE & Test, Screenline, Stackpole Engineering, Virtual Vehicle Research Institute
• VI-CERTIFIED Sponsors: Hexagon, IPG Automotive, rFpro

Nuneaton, Warwickshire, May 18th, 2022 -. Europe’s leading automotive engineering services company, HORIBA MIRA, today confirmed that its Vehicle Attribute Development Team will further enhance its proprietary approach to driver-centric and qualitative vehicle attribute engineering with the addition of a VI-grade DiM250 simulator to the company’s existing capabilities. 

The investment is not just the first of its kind in the UK, but the driver-in-the-loop simulator with a full-motion platform enhances HORIBA MIRA’s long-established capability to develop brand-specific chassis, brake and steer performance that favourably drives end-customer choice. 

Vehicle manufacturers are actively pursuing reduced vehicle development lead times. This second VI-grade simulator investment made by HORIBA MIRA in the past 12 months, coupled with deep engineering expertise, enables the leading automotive engineering services provider to reduce the time needed to develop vehicles by moving engineering decisions upstream through building higher confidence in the virtual series. As well as increasing the speed of vehicle development, this approach also reduces design phase cost and OEM carbon footprint by minimising reliance on prototype fleets, which potentially cost OEMs millions per vehicle programme. 

In addition, the rapid changes to new propulsion technologies and flexible vehicle architectures are demanding extensive attribute engineering support, founded on these new dynamic considerations.

For new disruptors entering the market, the opportunity to benefit from deep attribute engineering expertise from the renowned experts at HORIBA MIRA to accelerate their development cycle without the need for extensive investment, is critical for speed to market and commercial viability. HORIBA MIRA’s expert engineering services, combined with key infrastructure such as the new DiM simulator and subjective-led vehicle attribute development, has resulted in many new market entrants taking up residence at MIRA Technology Park to benefit from the complete service offering.

The new VI-grade DiM250 will be commissioned and ready for use as part of vehicle attribute engineering services at HORIBA MIRA from Q1 2023.

Graeme Stewart, HORIBA MIRA’s Chief Technical Officer said, “We have a long-established reputation as the leading partner of choice for vehicle driven-attributes engineering. Complementing our deep engineering expertise in this field, this new investment further strengthens our position and enables us to increasingly lead the way in engineering solutions for the rapidly changing needs of future mobility.”

Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade said, “I’m very happy to confirm the adoption of our DiM250 Simulator at HORIBA MIRA. This is going to be the first VI-grade DYNAMIC Driving Simulator to be installed in the UK, a country with an incredible automotive heritage and a great automotive industry that is seeking for such a tool to be used to increase innovation of their products and decrease the number of physical prototypes. HORIBA MIRA is a world-wide renowned engineering center and the DiM250 simulator will help HORIBA MIRA engineers to offer even more competitive services to their worldwide customers."

Udine, Italy, May 5th, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the final agenda of its 2022 ”ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit” (ZPS), to be held on May 18th – 19th, 2022. The two-day hybrid event dedicated to the global driving simulator community will take place at VI-grade’s state-of-the-art technology SimCenter facility in Udine, located in the north-east of Italy. 

The in-person event is at 95% capacity, underscoring the industry’s clear desire for a return to in-person events.  
The Summit will also be simultaneously broadcast live, free-of-charge, allowing VI-grade’s global community to benefit from the conference content. This content will also be available on-demand after the event.  
In-person attendees are invited to an informal pre-Summit reception at the Udine SimCenter, on May 17th at 6pm. Attendees can mingle and network in a relaxed atmosphere while discussing the latest trends in driving simulation technology. 

SUMMIT CONTENT FEATURES GLOBAL SIMULATION THOUGHT LEADERS

The ZPS is geared towards executives and experienced design engineers from major automotive and transportation OEMs, Tier1 suppliers, motorsports teams, universities, research centers worldwide and partner companies. The Summit offers a unique opportunity to learn how simulation thought leaders are succeeding in their quest towards achieving zero prototypes by employing VI-grade’s advanced simulation solutions. 

With 19 high-level technical presentations to select from, attendees will hear first-hand from industry-leading companies actively using VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technology to accelerate and improve their product development processes. 

ZPS PRESENTERS

Speakers include representatives from:

General Motors, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, Volvo Cars / Royal Institute of Technology, Applus+ IDIADA / Mahindra, Automobili Lamborghini / Bridgestone EMIA, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Pirelli Tyre, Multimatic Inc., Ford Werke GmbH, Nardò Technical Center, McMaster University, Politecnico di Milano, Technical University of Dresden, University of Windsor, UTAC, HORIBA MIRA, Danisi Engineering / Meccanica 42, MegaRide / BE CAE & Test. 

“We are truly impressed by the high degree of interest shown by our community for this event, as evidenced by the number of registrations for both the in-person and the virtual edition of our 2022 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit,” commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “We’re especially pleased to be able to provide our valued customers, partners and followers with such an impressive lineup of speakers demonstrating exclusive insights into how key players in the global automotive industry are currently using simulation and driving simulators.”

EXCLUSIVE DRIVING SIMULATOR DEMOS

As an added bonus, in person attendees will be treated to 7 exclusive driving simulator demos where they’ll directly experience the value and benefits of using VI-grade’s state-of-the-art driving simulators to refine the development process.

The final Conference Agenda is now available for download at https://conference.vi-grade.com/#abouttheevent 

SUPPLEMENTAL, HANDS-ON TECHNICAL TRAINING SESSIONS

VI-grade is offering on-site workshops on its flagship software products VI-CarRealTime and VI-WorldSim on May 20th. These fee-based training courses are aimed at experienced users who want to expand their existing knowledge of and learn about the new functionalities and capabilities of VI-grade’s software products. 

VI-grade will also host a free-of-charge NVH Simulators User Group for its NVH customers on May 20th. Attendees will learn more about recent and future new NVH Simulator capabilities and technology developments and will also have the opportunity to provide feedback and make requests directly to the NVH product development team.

INDUSTRY SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following 28 industry sponsors and partners for their support of the ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit:

• PLATINUM Sponsors: Applus+ IDIADA, Danisi Engineering, Rebel Dynamics, MegaRide, SAGInoMIYA
• GOLD Sponsors: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, HORIBA MIRA, Imtec Engineering, Multimatic, Rescale, Smart Eye
• SILVER Sponsors: 3D Mapping Solutions, BeamNG.tech, cosin scientific software, domeprojection.com, Fraunhofer ITWM, Konrad Technologies, Meccanica 42, Vioso
• BRONZE Sponsors: Almatec, BE CAE & Test, Screenline, Stackpole Engineering, Virtual Vehicle Research Institute
• VI-CERTIFIED Sponsors: Hexagon, IPG Automotive, rFpro

Sponsors will be present both at the dedicated exhibition area where they’ll showcase their technologies, as well as at live demo sessions, where their products and solutions are also directly integrated into VI-grade's driving simulators.

Registration for the in-person and virtual edition of the 2022 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit is still open at https://conference.vi-grade.com/. 

Darmstadt (Germany), April 28th , 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the complete installation and commissioning of a VI-grade COMPACT Simulator at the Ford Motor Research and Engineering Center in Nanjing China. The 3D virtual data that simulates Ford China’s test tracks in Nanjing will also soon be integrated into the driving simulator solution. 

By leveraging this innovative solution consisting of the VI-grade COMPACT Simulator and the Virtual Testing Tracks, engineers are able to evaluate vehicle dynamics performance, primarily on steering and handling capability, in a 3D virtual environment. Ultimately, the solution can help engineers shorten production development time and better meet needs of Chinese consumers. Because the COMPACT Simulator utilizes the same tool chain as the VI-grade STATIC and DYNAMIC DiM Driving Simulators, it also represents an optimal technical reserve for the application of a more advanced simulator. 

“We are excited to provide our COMPACT Simulator solution for Ford China,” said Richard Liu, China Country Manager at VI-grade. “In conjunction with the Virtual Testing Tracks data, the COMPACT Simulator is an innovative tool to develop and test designs more efficiently, reducing time-to-market for future products. We are looking forward to further expanding our cooperation with Ford in the future.”

Tokyo, Japan, April 13th, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the adoption of an extended version of its DiM250 DYNAMIC Simulator at long-standing customer Honda. The Driving Simulator, to be installed at Honda’s R&D site in Japan, is based on the same patented architecture as VI-grade’s DiM250 model, but with extended workspace through longer tripod actuators. This enlarged motion platform is particularly suitable for applications which require longer time exposure to steady state accelerations.

However, the newly acquired DiM is already the second VI-grade DYNAMIC Simulator within the Honda Group, since the R&D site in Offenbach, Germany, has relied on a model of the DiM250 simulator for vehicle development and testing since 2018. As the DiM250 has proven to be a valuable tool and development platform for the European team, Honda has now decided to introduce an extended version of DiM250 at its main development center in Japan. The Driving Simulator will be deployed in the areas of Ride & Handling, NVH, HMI and HiL, aimed to accelerate innovation in the overall vehicle development process, while reducing the number of physical prototypes, development time and costs. 

“We are pleased to announce the adoption of a second VI-grade DYNAMIC Simulator at Honda”, said Toru Yoshii, Japan Country Manager at VI-grade. “With the DiM Simulator on both sides of the ocean, Honda has now the ideal common development platform for their R&D activities and is at the forefront of virtual vehicle development.”

Darmstadt, Germany, April 5th, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced that Michael Hoffmann has joined the VI-grade Team as Senior Expert in Simulation Driven Development, effective April 1st, 2022.
 
Michael has over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing and software development focused on helping customers build better products in less time and with fewer resources. Before joining VI-grade, he held key positions at major simulation software companies such as Altair, MSC Software and Mechanical Dynamics. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael Hoffmann to VI-grade”, said Guido Bairati, Managing Director, VI-grade.  “He will be instrumental in advancing our Zero Prototypes strategy at VI-grade and will provide critical guidance and support to our customers in their path towards virtual sign-off”, he added.

“We’ve been talking about reducing hardware prototypes for quite some time”, said Michael Hoffmann. “I’m really looking forward to setting the bar a bit higher as we aim for „Zero Prototypes”, and I’m excited to work with clients who embrace innovation and who are willing to accept this challenge.” 

Udine, Italy, March 31st, 2022 – VI-grade, the simulation and driving simulator company that accelerates product innovation by bridging the gap between simulation and physical testing, today announced the preliminary agenda of its 2022 ”ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit” (ZPS), to be held on May 18th – 19th, 2022. The two-day event catering to the global driving simulator community will take place at VI-grade’s state-of-the-art technology SimCenter facility in Udine, located in the north-east of Italy. 

Attendees can expect high-level technical presentations from industry-leading companies actively using VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technology in their product development processes and how it has given them a clear technology leadership advantage over the competition. Speakers include representatives from General Motors, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, Volvo Cars / Royal Institute of Technology, Applus+ IDIADA / Mahindra, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Danisi Engineering, Multimatic Inc., Ford Germany, McMaster University, Politecnico di Milano, Technical University of Dresden, University of Windsor, UTAC. The detailed list of presentations, which will be progressively updated in the coming weeks, is available at https://conference.vi-grade.com/#summitprogram
 
Recognizing that not all customers, partners and followers can attend the physical event in Udine, VI-grade also organizes a simultaneous live broadcast of all summit presentations so that its global community can benefit from the conference content. This content will be made available on-demand after the event as well.

To allow conference attendees get the most out of their stay at SimCenter Udine, VI-grade will offer chargeable workshops dedicated to its flagship software products VI-CarRealTime and VI-WorldSim on May 20th. These training courses are aimed at experienced users who want to expand existing knowledge and to learn all new functionalities and capabilities of VI-grade’s software products. 

All registered attendees will also be invited to an informal get-together at VI-grade’s Udine SimCenter, where also the Summit will be held, on May 17th at 6pm to network and to discuss the latest trends and forthcoming driving simulation technologies in a relaxed atmosphere. 

“We are excited to offer our VI-grade community such an impressive slate of speakers at our 2022 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit and to invite them to our renowned SimCenter in Udine”, comments Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “These presentations will provide our valued customers, partners and followers with exclusive insights into how key players in the global automotive industry are currently using simulation and driving simulators to accelerate the development of new vehicles, bringing them ever closer to virtual release.”

The ZPS event is kindly supported by the following sponsors and partners:

• PLATINUM Sponsors: Applus+ IDIADA, Danisi Engineering, Rebel Dynamics, MegaRide, SAGInoMIYA
• GOLDEN Sponsors: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, HORIBA MIRA, Imtec Engineering, Multimatic, Rescale, Smart Eye
• SILVER Sponsors: 3D Mapping Solutions, BeamNG, cosin scientific software, domeprojection.com, Fraunhofer ITWM, Konrad Technologies, Meccanica 42, Vioso
• BRONZE Sponsors: Almatec, Screenline, Virtual Vehicle Research Institute
• VI-CERTIFIED Sponsors: Hexagon, IPG Automotive

The sponsors will be present both in the dedicated exhibition area to showcase their technologies as well as in live demo sessions, as their products and solutions are also directly integrated into VI-grade's driving simulators.

Registration to the 2022 ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit is now open at https://conference.vi-grade.com/. Additional details about the event will be added to the VI-grade website as they become available.