VI-grade announces commissioning of DiM250 DYNAMIC Simulator at HORIBA MIRA’s brand new Driving Simulator Center
Nuneaton, Warwickshire, September 28th, 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the commissioning of a DiM250 DYNAMIC Driving Simulator – first one to be installed in the UK – at the brand new Driving Simulator Center in Nuneaton, Warwickshire located at HORIBA MIRA's UK headquarters, a leading provider of vehicle attribute engineering on a global scale.
With an investment exceeding £4 million, the brand new center empowers established automotive OEMs, emerging vehicle manufacturers, and tier one suppliers to create vehicles that authentically embody their brand identities. Utilizing virtual tools, this new capability accelerates the development of vehicle attributes in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.
UK’s first VI-grade DiM250 Dynamic Simulator, at the heart of the new Driving Simulator Centre, is one of the world’s most advanced and high-performance dynamic motion driving simulators. Its use significantly reduces the need for physical vehicle testing and prototypes, reducing associated carbon emissions. At full reduction, one developed vehicle model using the VI-grade simulator could avoid a maximum potential of 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Customers utilizing HORIBA MIRA’s Driving Simulator Centre will also get access to its VI-grade COMPACT Simulator, acquired in 2021, conveniently located within the same facility.
Declan Allen, Managing Director at HORIBA MIRA said, “Through the newly launched Driving Simulator Centre, the cost and complexity of refining driven vehicle attributes to meet today’s changing customer expectations are significantly reduced. This new facility enhances HORIBA MIRA’s capabilities and is an enabler of its attribute-led development methodology, while also being a critical tool supporting complex engineering developments across ADAS, HMI and XiL.”
Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade said, “We are delighted that VI-grade and its simulators have been selected as the tools of choice for HORIBA MIRA and its Driving Simulator Centre. With a long and respected automotive engineering history, we’re excited that both VI-grade’s DiM250 Dynamic Simulator and COMPACT simulator will be supporting global automotive manufacturers and suppliers as they look ahead to future vehicle programs and engineering challenges.”
The Driving Simulator Centre, together with HORIBA MIRA’s subjective led attribute methodology, puts the Human-in-the-Loop at the very start of the virtual engineering series. Attribute development engineers can make accurate and unlimited comparisons quickly and at lower cost, often at the flick of a switch. This is especially important when working to balance conflicting attributes to achieve an optimized vehicle. This results in more informed subjective-led decisions being made throughout the entire development cycle rather than waiting for a physical prototype – and in many cases can significantly reduce the number of prototypes required.
The Driving Simulator Centre enables automotive companies to conduct virtual development across many automotive applications. Predominantly this is focused on the driven attributes: vehicle dynamics, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), and drivability, but also includes holistic engineering across capabilities growing in complexity and importance, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), human machine interface (HMI) and x-in-the-loop (XiL) applications.
For almost 80 years, HORIBA MIRA has played a pioneering role in automotive engineering innovation. As the industry pivots, HORIBA MIRA continues to lead the charge and is aligning its engineering capabilities and infrastructure to support its customers in the transition to net zero. The Driving Simulator Centre is a key enabler of net zero ambitions by significantly reducing the industry’s reliance on carbon-intensive physical prototypes.
With an investment exceeding £4 million, the brand new center empowers established automotive OEMs, emerging vehicle manufacturers, and tier one suppliers to create vehicles that authentically embody their brand identities. Utilizing virtual tools, this new capability accelerates the development of vehicle attributes in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.
UK’s first VI-grade DiM250 Dynamic Simulator, at the heart of the new Driving Simulator Centre, is one of the world’s most advanced and high-performance dynamic motion driving simulators. Its use significantly reduces the need for physical vehicle testing and prototypes, reducing associated carbon emissions. At full reduction, one developed vehicle model using the VI-grade simulator could avoid a maximum potential of 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Customers utilizing HORIBA MIRA’s Driving Simulator Centre will also get access to its VI-grade COMPACT Simulator, acquired in 2021, conveniently located within the same facility.
Declan Allen, Managing Director at HORIBA MIRA said, “Through the newly launched Driving Simulator Centre, the cost and complexity of refining driven vehicle attributes to meet today’s changing customer expectations are significantly reduced. This new facility enhances HORIBA MIRA’s capabilities and is an enabler of its attribute-led development methodology, while also being a critical tool supporting complex engineering developments across ADAS, HMI and XiL.”
Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade said, “We are delighted that VI-grade and its simulators have been selected as the tools of choice for HORIBA MIRA and its Driving Simulator Centre. With a long and respected automotive engineering history, we’re excited that both VI-grade’s DiM250 Dynamic Simulator and COMPACT simulator will be supporting global automotive manufacturers and suppliers as they look ahead to future vehicle programs and engineering challenges.”
The Driving Simulator Centre, together with HORIBA MIRA’s subjective led attribute methodology, puts the Human-in-the-Loop at the very start of the virtual engineering series. Attribute development engineers can make accurate and unlimited comparisons quickly and at lower cost, often at the flick of a switch. This is especially important when working to balance conflicting attributes to achieve an optimized vehicle. This results in more informed subjective-led decisions being made throughout the entire development cycle rather than waiting for a physical prototype – and in many cases can significantly reduce the number of prototypes required.
The Driving Simulator Centre enables automotive companies to conduct virtual development across many automotive applications. Predominantly this is focused on the driven attributes: vehicle dynamics, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), and drivability, but also includes holistic engineering across capabilities growing in complexity and importance, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), human machine interface (HMI) and x-in-the-loop (XiL) applications.
For almost 80 years, HORIBA MIRA has played a pioneering role in automotive engineering innovation. As the industry pivots, HORIBA MIRA continues to lead the charge and is aligning its engineering capabilities and infrastructure to support its customers in the transition to net zero. The Driving Simulator Centre is a key enabler of net zero ambitions by significantly reducing the industry’s reliance on carbon-intensive physical prototypes.
About HORIBA MIRA
HORIBA MIRA is a global provider of automotive engineering, test and development consultancy. The company works in close collaboration with vehicle manufacturers and suppliers around the world, providing world-class support for automotive product development.
From technology development through to full-vehicle programs and certification, the company has the breadth, capability and flexibility to support an international customer base, with engineers utilizing the latest test facilities and simulation tools to improve lives by making journeys safer, cleaner and smarter. HORIBA MIRA has been developing some of the world’s most iconic vehicles for nearly 80 years, working to achieve their vision – that every journey in the world will be positively influenced by them. The unique combination of advanced facilities, engineering expertise and prime location of MIRA Technology Park in the heart of the UK automotive industry, ensures customers can develop and validate their technology, or vehicle, in one place.
For more information, visit the HORIBA MIRA website www.horiba-mira.com
From technology development through to full-vehicle programs and certification, the company has the breadth, capability and flexibility to support an international customer base, with engineers utilizing the latest test facilities and simulation tools to improve lives by making journeys safer, cleaner and smarter. HORIBA MIRA has been developing some of the world’s most iconic vehicles for nearly 80 years, working to achieve their vision – that every journey in the world will be positively influenced by them. The unique combination of advanced facilities, engineering expertise and prime location of MIRA Technology Park in the heart of the UK automotive industry, ensures customers can develop and validate their technology, or vehicle, in one place.
For more information, visit the HORIBA MIRA website www.horiba-mira.com
VI-grade Spotlights Tire Modeling and Simulation at 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Novi, MI, USA; September 6th, 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, announced today that it is at 85% capacity for its second annual North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, scheduled for September 20th, 2023, at Multimatic SimCenter in Novi, MI (suburban Detroit). More than 130 attendees have already registered for the live, one-day event. This underscores the immense interest the global automotive community has in simulation-driven vehicle development and the corresponding growing importance of VI-grade’s “Zero Prototypes” vision. With two weeks remaining until the Summit, VI-grade has announced final additions to the agenda (available for download at https://www2.news.vi-grade.com/NA_ZPS_2023_Official_Program) encompassing the interactive demo sessions, and the live panel discussion focused on tire modeling.
HIGH-LEVEL TECHNICAL AGENDA & SPOTLIGHT ON THE COMPLEXITY OF TIRE MODELING
New this year is a special focus on tire modeling and simulation. Tire modeling is a complex and challenging, yet nonetheless essential, task for vehicle developers. By accurately modeling the tire's behavior, vehicle developers can improve the safety, performance, and efficiency of their vehicles. Acknowledging this critical need, this year’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit program will culminate in a live, expert panel discussion on "Tire Modeling for the Virtual World" moderated by Mike Stackpole, President of Stackpole Engineering Services. The session brings together experts from leading tire model suppliers including Calspan, cosin scientific software, Fraunhofer ITWM and MegaRide to explore the future of tire design and the seamless integration of tire models into VI-grade’s solutions and driving simulators.
The technical agenda comprises a selection of over 16 high-level keynote and technical presentations where attendees will hear first-hand from simulation thought leaders in the global automotive industry. These industry leaders will demonstrate how they employ VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development and get ever closer to the “zero prototypes” vision.
Attendees will come away with valuable insights from a diverse range of organizations, including Applus+ IDIADA, BASF, CEVT, Eastern Michigan University, General Motors, HBK SVES, Hitachi Astemo Americas, Mcity (University of Michigan – College of Engineering), Multimatic, Stellantis, VI-grade and many more.
The full conference agenda, including logistics details, is now available for download at https://www2.news.vi-grade.com/NA_ZPS_2023_Official_Program.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH VI-GRADE’S FULL RANGE OF SIMULATION, DRIVING SIMULATOR AND HIL SOLUTIONS
As a complement to the insightful technical presentations by leading industry players, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a series of driving simulator sessions tailored to specific automotive applications. In this way attendees can experience for themselves the value VI-grade’s driving simulators bring to the development process.
The following demo sessions will be available for attendees to explore:
- Test Drive the brand-new Full-Spectrum (FSS) Simulator for Ride Comfort Studies
- Experience Mixed-Reality on a DESKTOP Simulator
- Conduct HMI and Driving Monitoring Studies on a STATIC Simulator
- Evaluate NVH performance on a DESKTOP NVH and COMPACT NVH Simulator
- See the large DYNAMIC DiM250 Simulator in action for motorsports applications
- Build, tune and validate real-time vehicle models and ADAS scenarios and sensors with VI-CarRealTime and VI-WorldSim
- Test integrated HiL systems with AutoHawk
NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING & SOCIALIZING
VI-grade's objective with the ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits extends beyond delivering an exceptional and highly relevant technical program. The company is equally committed to promoting extensive networking opportunities within the industry and connecting users of its technology with one another.
While the afternoon will be dedicated to customer presentations, participants will have the opportunity to network during the demo sessions in the morning and trade notes on their experiences on the various simulators.
The one-day event wraps up with an evening reception and informal dinner in a relaxed atmosphere, starting at 6 p.m. Attendees can socialize and discuss both the latest trends in driving simulation and their own progress towards the “Zero Prototypes” vision.
VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following industry partners for their support and sponsorship of the 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit:
- DIAMOND: Multimatic
- PLATINUM: Applus+ IDIADA, SAGInoMIYA
- GOLD: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, cosin scientific software, HBK, Imtec Engineering, MegaRide, Stackpole Engineering
- SILVER: 3D Mapping Solutions, Smart Eye
- VI-CERTIFIED: Hexagon
Limited space is still available for the 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit. Registration will remain open until capacity is reached. Event registration is available at:
/en/about/events/users_conferences/2023-na-vi-grade-zero-prototypes-summit-novi-mi-usa/.
VI-grade Announces Final Program for 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Novi, MI, USA; August 2nd, 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today released the final agenda for its highly anticipated North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit. Building on the resounding success of its inaugural edition in 2022 with over 130 in-person attendees, this one-day event will take place on September 20th, 2023, at the state-of-the-art Multimatic SimCenter in Novi, MI (suburban Detroit). As with VI-grade’s annual flagship event held at its main technical development center in Udine, Italy, the North American ZERO PROTOTYPES summit will feature a combination of high-level keynote and technical presentations. In addition, attendees can attend application-specific demo sessions to experience VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulator and hardware-in-the-loop technologies first-hand.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH VI-GRADE’S FULL RANGE OF SIMULATION, DRIVING SIMULATOR AND HIL SOLUTIONS
IMPRESSIVE SLATE OF SPEAKERS BOASTS A WHO’S WHO AMONG NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
With over 16 high-level keynote and technical presentations to select from, attendees will hear first-hand from simulation thought leaders in the global automotive industry. These industry leaders will showcase how they employ VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development and get ever closer to the “zero prototypes” vision.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from Applus+ IDIADA, BASF, Eastern Michigan University, General Motors, HBK SVES, Hitachi Astemo Americas, Multimatic, Stellantis, Causality LLC, VI-grade and many more.
VI-grade will conclude the conference portion with a panel discussion on “The State of Tire Modelling for the Virtual World”. Moderated by Michael Stackpole, president of Stackpole Engineering Services, this panel will bring together OEMs, tire manufacturers, and tire model suppliers to explore the future of tire design and the seamless integration of tire models on VI-grade driving simulators.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from Applus+ IDIADA, BASF, Eastern Michigan University, General Motors, HBK SVES, Hitachi Astemo Americas, Multimatic, Stellantis, Causality LLC, VI-grade and many more.
VI-grade will conclude the conference portion with a panel discussion on “The State of Tire Modelling for the Virtual World”. Moderated by Michael Stackpole, president of Stackpole Engineering Services, this panel will bring together OEMs, tire manufacturers, and tire model suppliers to explore the future of tire design and the seamless integration of tire models on VI-grade driving simulators.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH VI-GRADE’S FULL RANGE OF SIMULATION, DRIVING SIMULATOR AND HIL SOLUTIONS
In addition to the high-level technical presentations from industry-leading companies, the North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit will also feature a series of application specific driving simulator sessions. The full range of VI-grade’s Driving Simulators, specifically targeted at discipline-oriented applications (Ride & Handling, NVH, ADAS & AV, HMI, Motorsports and multi-attribute simulation), will be available for attendees to experience:
- DESKTOP and DESKTOP NVH Simulator
- COMPACT FSS and COMPACT NVH Simulator
- STATIC Simulator
- DiM250 DYNAMIC Simulator
AutoHawk, VI-grade’s HiL solution powered by Concurrent Real-Time, in conjunction with flagship products VI-CarRealTime and VI-WorldSim, will also be on display for dedicated Software and Hardware-in-the-Loop applications.
“We look forward to bringing our renowned ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit to North America for the second time and to once again host such an impressive lineup of speakers”, commented 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 and bring them ever closer to virtual sign-off.”
Registration for the 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit is open at /en/about/events/users_conferences/2023-na-vi-grade-zero-prototypes-summit-novi-mi-usa/. Additional details about the event will be added to the VI-grade website as they become available.
Registration for the 2023 North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit is open at /en/about/events/users_conferences/2023-na-vi-grade-zero-prototypes-summit-novi-mi-usa/. Additional details about the event will be added to the VI-grade website as they become available.
German version available here
VI-grade and Addfor Sign Exclusive Reseller Agreement
Turin, Italy, July 12th , 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, and Addfor, a leading provider of AI-driven software solutions, today announced the formation of a strategic partnership solidifying VI-grade as the exclusive distributor of Addfor's innovative Sybille® software for the automotive market. Sybille®’s capability of generating real-time value forecasts of signals, effectively eliminates transmission delays and enables control actuation anticipation, thereby accelerating the vehicle development process.
Addfor's Sybille® software seamlessly integrates with VI-grade’s driving simulators and HiL solutions, elevating their capabilities to new heights. Sybille® harmonizes all simulator cues – ranging from motion, graphics to sound and tire squeal - increasing accuracy and and refining the immersive driving experience. Sybille®’s AI-based algorithm also facilitates the remote connection of a vehicle model with a driving simulator or a HiL test bench in different locations, significantly transforming global collaboration among the various vehicle development stakeholders.
By empowering its simulation tools with Artificial Intelligence capabilities, VI-grade is ensuring that its driving simulators and simulation software continue leading the market with innovative solutions for the automotive industry that mirror global megatrends. This reseller agreement enables VI-grade now to directly distribute Sybille® to its customers, further expanding its product offering and reinforcing its leadership position in the driving simulator and HiL market.
Through this partnership Addfor will now have access to VI-grade's extensive customer base, including leading OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and research centers with over 120+ simulators installed worldwide. This strategic alliance empowers Addfor to further commercialize and establish its Sybille® software in the automotive market by introducing it to VI-grade’s vast network. Additionally, the implementation of Sybille® will extend to VI-grade's SimCenter facilities across the globe, ensuring its availability and accessibility at various automotive hubs.
“We are thrilled to announce our exclusive reseller agreement with Addfor and the addition of their innovative Sybille® software to our product portfolio”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director of VI-grade. “The integration of Sybille® into our driving simulators and HiL solutions unlocks new possibilities for our customers, with the potential to revolutionize their vehicle development process. Moreover, by combining AI-based algorithms with our tools, we are embracing a global megatrend, ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve and effectively meet the ever-evolving demands of the dynamic automotive industry.”
“We are excited to partner with VI-grade and leverage their sales organization as well as extensive customer base to introduce our Sybille® software to the automotive market”, added Ruben Borchetto, Executive Director and Founding Partner of Addfor. “This reseller agreement opens new avenues for Addfor to furher commercialize and establish our innovative AI-based solution in collaboration with VI-grade's global network.”
Addfor's Sybille® software seamlessly integrates with VI-grade’s driving simulators and HiL solutions, elevating their capabilities to new heights. Sybille® harmonizes all simulator cues – ranging from motion, graphics to sound and tire squeal - increasing accuracy and and refining the immersive driving experience. Sybille®’s AI-based algorithm also facilitates the remote connection of a vehicle model with a driving simulator or a HiL test bench in different locations, significantly transforming global collaboration among the various vehicle development stakeholders.
By empowering its simulation tools with Artificial Intelligence capabilities, VI-grade is ensuring that its driving simulators and simulation software continue leading the market with innovative solutions for the automotive industry that mirror global megatrends. This reseller agreement enables VI-grade now to directly distribute Sybille® to its customers, further expanding its product offering and reinforcing its leadership position in the driving simulator and HiL market.
Through this partnership Addfor will now have access to VI-grade's extensive customer base, including leading OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and research centers with over 120+ simulators installed worldwide. This strategic alliance empowers Addfor to further commercialize and establish its Sybille® software in the automotive market by introducing it to VI-grade’s vast network. Additionally, the implementation of Sybille® will extend to VI-grade's SimCenter facilities across the globe, ensuring its availability and accessibility at various automotive hubs.
“We are thrilled to announce our exclusive reseller agreement with Addfor and the addition of their innovative Sybille® software to our product portfolio”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director of VI-grade. “The integration of Sybille® into our driving simulators and HiL solutions unlocks new possibilities for our customers, with the potential to revolutionize their vehicle development process. Moreover, by combining AI-based algorithms with our tools, we are embracing a global megatrend, ensuring that we stay ahead of the curve and effectively meet the ever-evolving demands of the dynamic automotive industry.”
“We are excited to partner with VI-grade and leverage their sales organization as well as extensive customer base to introduce our Sybille® software to the automotive market”, added Ruben Borchetto, Executive Director and Founding Partner of Addfor. “This reseller agreement opens new avenues for Addfor to furher commercialize and establish our innovative AI-based solution in collaboration with VI-grade's global network.”
German version available here
VI-grade to Expand ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits to the United States, Japan and China in September & October 2023
Udine, Italy, June 29th , 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced it will expand its acclaimed ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit Series globally. Following the highly succesul 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit held in May at VI-grade’s SimCenter Udine (Italy), the company will again expand its premier event to the world’s three major automotive hubs. The upcoming summits will be held in Novi, (Detroit) MI (USA), Tokyo (Japan), and Zhaoyuan (China), and will showcase VI-grade's commitment to spreading the Zero Prototypes vision and fostering collaboration worldwide.
Building upon the tremendous achievements of the EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, which attracted a record-breaking attendance of over 270 in-person participants and an additional 800 virtual attendees, VI-grade will again bring together automotive OEMs, suppliers, research centers and universities to showcase the progress they’ve made on their journey towards achieving zero prototypes and virtual sign-off.
VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit has become a must-attend annual event, providing exclusive insights into how key players in the global automotive industry are currently using simulation, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development.
The upcoming ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits are as follows:
North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: September 20th, 2023
Location: Multimatic SimCenter Novi in Novi, MI (Suburban Detroit, Michigan)
Returning for its second edition, the NA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit will once again take place at the state-of-the-art Multimatic SimCenter Novi. Keynote and technical speakers from renowned organizations such as General Motors, Hitachi Astemo, Eastern Michigan University and many more will discuss in technical detail the gains they have made towards achieving Zero Prototypes in their development processes. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to attend numerous application-specific demo sessions and gain valuable insights into how VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulator and hardware-in-the-loop technologies have already and will continue to revolutionize the vehicle development process.
Japan ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: September 21st, 2023
Location: Shinagawa Conference Center in Tokyo, Japan
Now in its third year and held entirely in Japanese, the Japan ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit will feature speakers from industry-leading companies such as Honda R&D, Nissan Bridgestone Japan and many more. The event will also give attendees the opportunity to experience VI-grade’s smaller-scale driving simulators, software and hard-ware-in-the-loop technologies live and in action during interactive demo sessions.
PRC ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: October 18th, 2023
Location: Applus+ IDIADA’s SimCenter in Zhaoyuan, Yantai, China
For the first time ever, VI-grade is bringing its renowned ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit to China. Held in local language, this exclusive event is dedicated to executive-level engineering managers and experienced design engineers from the Chinese automotive industry. The summit, hosted at Applus+ IDIADA’s SimCenter in Zhaoyuan, Yantai, will feature industry leading speakers from NIO, CICV, CHERY and many more. As with the other ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits, attendees will have the opportunity to wittness VI-grade’s simulation tools, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technologies live and in action.
“We look forward to bringing our ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit to North America, Japan and China in fall 2023”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “These extraordinary events aim to unite the automotive industry across continents, fostering collaboration and driving the automotive sector towards an innovative future. This is also a great opportunity for us to demonstrate not only our Zero Prototypes vision and our tools to the Japanese, North American and Chinese communities, but also to gain insights into the remarkable projects and advancements our customers have accomplished using our simulation solutions.”
VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following industry partners for their support and sponsorship of the regional ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits:
Building upon the tremendous achievements of the EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, which attracted a record-breaking attendance of over 270 in-person participants and an additional 800 virtual attendees, VI-grade will again bring together automotive OEMs, suppliers, research centers and universities to showcase the progress they’ve made on their journey towards achieving zero prototypes and virtual sign-off.
VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit has become a must-attend annual event, providing exclusive insights into how key players in the global automotive industry are currently using simulation, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development.
The upcoming ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits are as follows:
North American ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: September 20th, 2023
Location: Multimatic SimCenter Novi in Novi, MI (Suburban Detroit, Michigan)
Returning for its second edition, the NA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit will once again take place at the state-of-the-art Multimatic SimCenter Novi. Keynote and technical speakers from renowned organizations such as General Motors, Hitachi Astemo, Eastern Michigan University and many more will discuss in technical detail the gains they have made towards achieving Zero Prototypes in their development processes. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to attend numerous application-specific demo sessions and gain valuable insights into how VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulator and hardware-in-the-loop technologies have already and will continue to revolutionize the vehicle development process.
Japan ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: September 21st, 2023
Location: Shinagawa Conference Center in Tokyo, Japan
Now in its third year and held entirely in Japanese, the Japan ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit will feature speakers from industry-leading companies such as Honda R&D, Nissan Bridgestone Japan and many more. The event will also give attendees the opportunity to experience VI-grade’s smaller-scale driving simulators, software and hard-ware-in-the-loop technologies live and in action during interactive demo sessions.
PRC ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Date: October 18th, 2023
Location: Applus+ IDIADA’s SimCenter in Zhaoyuan, Yantai, China
For the first time ever, VI-grade is bringing its renowned ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit to China. Held in local language, this exclusive event is dedicated to executive-level engineering managers and experienced design engineers from the Chinese automotive industry. The summit, hosted at Applus+ IDIADA’s SimCenter in Zhaoyuan, Yantai, will feature industry leading speakers from NIO, CICV, CHERY and many more. As with the other ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits, attendees will have the opportunity to wittness VI-grade’s simulation tools, driving simulators and hardware-in-the-loop technologies live and in action.
“We look forward to bringing our ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit to North America, Japan and China in fall 2023”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “These extraordinary events aim to unite the automotive industry across continents, fostering collaboration and driving the automotive sector towards an innovative future. This is also a great opportunity for us to demonstrate not only our Zero Prototypes vision and our tools to the Japanese, North American and Chinese communities, but also to gain insights into the remarkable projects and advancements our customers have accomplished using our simulation solutions.”
VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following industry partners for their support and sponsorship of the regional ZERO PROTOTYPES Summits:
- PLATINUM: Applus+ IDIADA, Multimatic, SAGInoMIYA
- GOLD: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, cosin scientific software, HBK, Imtec Engineering, MegaRide, Progress Technologies, Solize, Stackpole Engineering Services
- SILVER: 3D Mapping Solutions, Smart Eye
- VI-CERTIFIED: Hexagon
German version available here
VI-grade Wraps Up Successful 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit With Record-Breaking Attendance of Over 270 Global Automotive Industry Innovators
Udine, Italy, June 1st , 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the official recap of its highly succesful 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, which was held from May 23rd – 25th at VI-grade’s SimCenter in Udine, Italy. With a record-breaking attendance of over 270 in-person and additional 800 virtual attendees following the livestream on LinkedIn, this year's ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit marked the largest gathering to-date of VI-grade’s global driving simulator community.
The summit’s theme of “Join us on the Road to Zero Prototypes” embodied the journey towards a prototype-free vehicle development process and virtual sign-off, recognizing that the path itself holds immense value. Achieving Zero Prototypes remains the ultimate development goal, and VI-grade customers showcased the significant progress they’ve already made along this journey during the three-day event.
Day 1 of the summit highlighted presentations from market leading companies such as Applus+ IDIADA, Bridgestone EMIA, Bugatti Rimac, CEVT, Dromo, HBK, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maserati, Mazda Motor Corporation, Meccanica 42, MegaRide, Pagani Automobili, Pirelli Tyre, Politecnico di Milano, Tenneco, and Volkswagen.
On Day 2, attendees were treated to presentations from Barco, CAE Value, Chassis Autonomy, Ferrari, Ford Motor Company UK, Hitachi Astemo, HORIBA MIRA, Hyundai METC, Jaguar Land Rover, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Moog, Multimatic, Pirelli Tyre, Politecnico di Milano, and Volvo Cars.
The PDF versions of the presentations are already available for download on the VI-grade website. The video content will be shared on VI-grade's YouTube channel as it becomes available. The official aftermovie of the event can be found at this link https://youtu.be/3SIcT726wpo.
INDUSTRY SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following industry partners for their support and sponsorship of the 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit:
The summit’s theme of “Join us on the Road to Zero Prototypes” embodied the journey towards a prototype-free vehicle development process and virtual sign-off, recognizing that the path itself holds immense value. Achieving Zero Prototypes remains the ultimate development goal, and VI-grade customers showcased the significant progress they’ve already made along this journey during the three-day event.
2023 ZPS SPEAKERS
The 2023 ZPS featured 27 inspiring keynote and technical presentations from renowned simulation thought leaders in the global automotive industry. These industry experts demonstrated how they leverage VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators, and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development, bringing them ever closer to realizing the vision of Zero Prototypes.Day 1 of the summit highlighted presentations from market leading companies such as Applus+ IDIADA, Bridgestone EMIA, Bugatti Rimac, CEVT, Dromo, HBK, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maserati, Mazda Motor Corporation, Meccanica 42, MegaRide, Pagani Automobili, Pirelli Tyre, Politecnico di Milano, Tenneco, and Volkswagen.
On Day 2, attendees were treated to presentations from Barco, CAE Value, Chassis Autonomy, Ferrari, Ford Motor Company UK, Hitachi Astemo, HORIBA MIRA, Hyundai METC, Jaguar Land Rover, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Moog, Multimatic, Pirelli Tyre, Politecnico di Milano, and Volvo Cars.
The PDF versions of the presentations are already available for download on the VI-grade website. The video content will be shared on VI-grade's YouTube channel as it becomes available. The official aftermovie of the event can be found at this link https://youtu.be/3SIcT726wpo.
KEY ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE AT 2023 EMEA ZPS
The ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit provided a forum for major announcements pertaining to VI-grade’s business and product developments, including:
- Launch of the COMPACT Full Spectrum Simulator: The summit unveiled VI-grade's new COMPACT FSS Simulator, an unparalleled, significant addition to the company's driving simulator product line. The COMPACT FSS Simulator addresses what had been until now the long-standing demand from vehicle design and development engineers to experience and evaluate ride motion, vibration, and sound within a single, small footprint simulator.
- Global ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit Series Expansion: Demonstrating VI-grade's commitment to the Zero Prototypes challenge, the company announced the expansion of its global summit series. On September 20th, VI-grade will host its second North American summit at Multimatic SimCenter in Novi, Michigan, followed by a Japanese summit on September 21 in Tokyo. Finally, on October 18th, the first-ever ZPS summit dedicated to the Chinese automotive community will take place at the new SimCenter in Yantai, China, in partnership with Applus+ IDIADA. These events aim to unite the industry across continents, inspiring collaboration and driving the automotive sector towards an innovative future.
- 2023 Virtual Formula Award Ceremony: In tight competition between 130 teams from all over the world, the following winners of the 2023 edition of the Virtual Formula competition were announced during the event:
- Optimization Category: UniBo Motorsport, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Italy
- Digital Twin Electric Category: Squadra Corse PoliTO, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
- Digital Twin Combustion Category: WUT Racing Team, Wuhan University of Technology, China
INDUSTRY SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
VI-grade would like to acknowledge and thank the following industry partners for their support and sponsorship of the 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit:
- PLATINUM: Applus+ IDIADA, HORIBA MIRA, SAGInoMIYA
- GOLD: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, cosin, HBK, Imtec Engineering, Meccanica 42, MegaRide, Moog, Multimatic
- SILVER: 3D Mapping Solutions, domeprojection, Fraunhofer ITWM, Joanneum Research, Konrad Technologies, Rebel Dynamics, Smart Eye, Sound To Sight
- BRONZE: BE CAE & Test, Screenline
- VI-CERTIFIED: Hexagon, rFpro
German version available here
VI-grade And Sound To Sight Announce Strategic Partnership
Udine, Italy, May 17th, 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, and Sound To Sight (STS), a visionary company specializing in unique sound design solutions for transportation domains, today announced their strategic partnership. This newly formed alliance brings together the technical and creative expertise of both companies, combining NVH simulation and Active Sound Design to create unparalleded driving experiences for customers worldwide.
The collaboration marks a significant milestone in the field of NVH simulation and Active Sound Design, offering numerous benefits to the automotive industry. Sound To Sight uses a unique, cutting-edge sound design method to create tailored and brand-aligned sound profiles for vehicle manufacturers. Their expertise enables the development of immersive soundscapes that embody a brand’s identity and heritage, evoking powerful emotions. These innovative sound designs can then be accurately reproduced and seamlessly integrated into VI-grade's NVH simulator allowing test drivers and decision makers to experience and evaluate them first-hand during simulated driving scenarios. This empowers vehicle manufacturers to first create unique sound designs with Sound To Sight and immediately test-drive them in VI-grade's NVH simulator, reducing the need for physical prototypes.
“We’re excited to enter into this new strategic partnership with Sound To Sight”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “Combining Sound To Sight’s sound design expertise together with real-time human-in-the-loop virtual prototype simulations provided by VI-grade simulators exemplifies our commitment to the zero-prototype strategy. Vehicle design and development teams can decide on the exact right sound of the vehicle, evaluating the holistic vehicle experience of the sound design sound in context with all other sounds, vibration, motion and other factors in a dynamic, virtual environment, much more efficiently, and long before, a physical prototype could be made.”
“We are thrilled about this new partnership, which has already demonstrated success through a collaborative customer project in 2022 with a renowned Italian car manufacturer”, added Antoine Châron, Co-founder of Sound To Sight. “VI-grade and STS have worked together on an interior active sound design project, achieving impressive results thanks to the synergistic expertise of the two companies. We look forward to embark on this strategic partnership and pushing the boundaries of unique sound design”
In addition, Sound To Sight will participate as a SILVER sponsor in VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, to be held on May 23-25, at SimCenter Udine. At their booth, Sound To Sight will show a selection of their sound designs on a VI-grade NVH DESKTOP Simulator for all attendees to experience live
The collaboration marks a significant milestone in the field of NVH simulation and Active Sound Design, offering numerous benefits to the automotive industry. Sound To Sight uses a unique, cutting-edge sound design method to create tailored and brand-aligned sound profiles for vehicle manufacturers. Their expertise enables the development of immersive soundscapes that embody a brand’s identity and heritage, evoking powerful emotions. These innovative sound designs can then be accurately reproduced and seamlessly integrated into VI-grade's NVH simulator allowing test drivers and decision makers to experience and evaluate them first-hand during simulated driving scenarios. This empowers vehicle manufacturers to first create unique sound designs with Sound To Sight and immediately test-drive them in VI-grade's NVH simulator, reducing the need for physical prototypes.
“We’re excited to enter into this new strategic partnership with Sound To Sight”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “Combining Sound To Sight’s sound design expertise together with real-time human-in-the-loop virtual prototype simulations provided by VI-grade simulators exemplifies our commitment to the zero-prototype strategy. Vehicle design and development teams can decide on the exact right sound of the vehicle, evaluating the holistic vehicle experience of the sound design sound in context with all other sounds, vibration, motion and other factors in a dynamic, virtual environment, much more efficiently, and long before, a physical prototype could be made.”
“We are thrilled about this new partnership, which has already demonstrated success through a collaborative customer project in 2022 with a renowned Italian car manufacturer”, added Antoine Châron, Co-founder of Sound To Sight. “VI-grade and STS have worked together on an interior active sound design project, achieving impressive results thanks to the synergistic expertise of the two companies. We look forward to embark on this strategic partnership and pushing the boundaries of unique sound design”
In addition, Sound To Sight will participate as a SILVER sponsor in VI-grade’s ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, to be held on May 23-25, at SimCenter Udine. At their booth, Sound To Sight will show a selection of their sound designs on a VI-grade NVH DESKTOP Simulator for all attendees to experience live
VI-grade Announces Highly Anticipated Final Program for 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit
Udine, Italy, May 11th, 2023 – VI-grade, the global provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development solutions, today announced the final agenda for its highly anticipated 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit, to be held from May 23 - 25, 2023 at SimCenter Udine. In addition to the physical event, already at 95% capacity, VI-grade will also offer a live broadcast on LinkedIn of all summit presentations for those unable to attend in-person.
SLATE OF SPEAKERS BOASTS A WHO’S WHO AMONG GLOBAL SIMULATION THOUGHT LEADERS
With over 20 high-level technical presentations to select from, attendees will hear first-hand from simulation thought leaders in the global automotive industry. These industry leaders will showcase how they employ VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development and get ever closer to the “zero prototypes” vision.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from Applus+ IDIADA, Bugatti Rimac, Bridgestone EMIA, CEVT, Chassis Autonomy, Dromo, Ferrari, Ford Motor Company, Hitachi Astemo, HORIBA MIRA, Hyundai METC, Jaguar Land Rover, Maserati, Mazda Motor Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra, MegaRide, Multimatic, Pagani Automobili, Pirelli, Politecnico di Milano, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo Cars, as they demonstrate their use of VI-grade technology to reduce the need for physical prototypes.
For those unable to attend in person, the LinkedIn Live stream of the summit presentations provides an excellent opportunity to join the conversation and stay abreast of the latest advancements in automotive simulation technology. The official summit program is also available for download at https://www2.news.vi-grade.com/EMEA_ZPS2023_Official_Program
“We are excited to bring together global simulation thought leaders at our 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “This year’s program promises to be our most comprehensive yet and we look forward to showcasing the innovative ways in which our customers are using simulation to accelerate vehicle development and reduce the need for physical prototypes. The fact that the summit is almost at full capacity is a testament to the importance of this topic for the automotive industry.”
Limited space is still available for the in-person 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit. Registration will remain open until capacity is reached. Event registration is available at /en/about/events/users_conferences/2023-emea-vi-grade-zero-prototypes-summit-udine-italy/
Registration for the live broadcast will be done through LinkedIn.
Registration for conference day 1: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7062391966650523648/
Registration for conference day 2: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7062395071840571393/
SLATE OF SPEAKERS BOASTS A WHO’S WHO AMONG GLOBAL SIMULATION THOUGHT LEADERS
With over 20 high-level technical presentations to select from, attendees will hear first-hand from simulation thought leaders in the global automotive industry. These industry leaders will showcase how they employ VI-grade’s simulation, driving simulators and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development and get ever closer to the “zero prototypes” vision.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from Applus+ IDIADA, Bugatti Rimac, Bridgestone EMIA, CEVT, Chassis Autonomy, Dromo, Ferrari, Ford Motor Company, Hitachi Astemo, HORIBA MIRA, Hyundai METC, Jaguar Land Rover, Maserati, Mazda Motor Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra, MegaRide, Multimatic, Pagani Automobili, Pirelli, Politecnico di Milano, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo Cars, as they demonstrate their use of VI-grade technology to reduce the need for physical prototypes.
For those unable to attend in person, the LinkedIn Live stream of the summit presentations provides an excellent opportunity to join the conversation and stay abreast of the latest advancements in automotive simulation technology. The official summit program is also available for download at https://www2.news.vi-grade.com/EMEA_ZPS2023_Official_Program
“We are excited to bring together global simulation thought leaders at our 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit”, commented Guido Bairati, Managing Director at VI-grade. “This year’s program promises to be our most comprehensive yet and we look forward to showcasing the innovative ways in which our customers are using simulation to accelerate vehicle development and reduce the need for physical prototypes. The fact that the summit is almost at full capacity is a testament to the importance of this topic for the automotive industry.”
Limited space is still available for the in-person 2023 EMEA ZERO PROTOTYPES Summit. Registration will remain open until capacity is reached. Event registration is available at /en/about/events/users_conferences/2023-emea-vi-grade-zero-prototypes-summit-udine-italy/
Registration for the live broadcast will be done through LinkedIn.
Registration for conference day 1: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7062391966650523648/
Registration for conference day 2: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event/urn:li:ugcPost:7062395071840571393/
German version available here