Step into the next era of product development at the Smart Prototypes Summit 2026!
Three days where simulation, physical testing & data intelligence come together in one integrated environment.
Early bird registration is now open with special savings.
Step into the next era of product development at the Smart Prototypes Summit 2026!
Three days where simulation, physical testing & data intelligence come together in one integrated environment.
Early bird registration is now open with special savings.
Step into the next era of product development at the Smart Prototypes Summit 2026!
Three days where simulation, physical testing & data intelligence come together in one integrated environment.
Early bird registration is now open with special savings.
Udine, Italy, February 25th, 2026 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the successful final installation and go-live of the DiM500 Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulator at Bridgestone, marking an important milestone in the company’s digital tire development journey. Installed at Bridgestone’s R&D Centre near Rome, Italy, the VI-grade DiM500 Driver-in-the-Loop simulator enables Bridgestone to assess tire performance in a fully virtual environment.
The simulator features a large mobile platform with a five-meter range of motion and a carbon-fiber cockpit, immersing the driver in a hyper-realistic environment that imitates real-world driving. This range of motion enables the reproduction of forces equivalent to physical tests, allowing for highly accurate analysis. Combining high-fidelity simulations with subjective driver feedback – alongside historical data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies – this new capability allows for earlier and more accurate design decisions. It enables Bridgestone to evaluate a significantly larger number of tire specifications than traditional physical testing and in less time, across a broader range of conditions. Physical testing, which remains a crucial part of Bridgestone’s development process, can now be reserved for the final stages of tire validation.
The introduction of the DiM500 is expected to significantly reduce the need for physical tire prototypes, with Bridgestone estimating savings of up to 12,000 experimental tires annually and a corresponding reduction in environmental impact.
“Bridgestone is already considered a pioneer in digital tire development – leveraging Virtual Tire Development for more than a decade. By integrating the driver into the digital development cycle, this investment adds a crucial new piece to our evolving ecosystem,” said Mattia Giustiniano, R&D Senior Vice President at Bridgestone West. “The simulator’s introduction marks a significant step in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of our R&D processes, while unlocking unprecedented opportunities to foster innovation.”
“We are pleased to see the DiM500 fully operational at Bridgestone’s R&D Centre,” added Alessio Lombardi, Global Sales Director – Simulation at VI-grade.“Driver-in-the-Loop simulation plays an increasingly important role in connecting subjective driver feedback with high-fidelity simulation, helping engineering teams make earlier and more informed decisions within the virtual development process.”
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