Modena, December 18, 2019 - Hard work and brilliant ideas should be rewarded – therefore the two winning Virtual Formula teams, Dynamis PRC from Politecnico di Milano and Cal Poly Racing from California Polytechnic State University had the unique chance to visit the recently opened INNOVATION LAB at the Maserati site in Modena and to experience the cutting-edge VI-grade driving simulators live and in action.

Only recently, the Italian premium car manufacturer and long-time customer of VI-grade opened its doors to this usually off-limits location and granted an exclusive insight into the heart of the brand’s driving research technology and development work. Exploiting the full innovation potential, the state-of-the-art facility features the STATIC Simulator as well as the latest generation of the revolutionary DYNAMIC Driving Simulator DiM250, all provided by VI-grade. It’s a place that is bursting with innovation and progress – and that’s exactly what the winners of the 2019 edition of VI-grade’s Virtual Formula were able to experience for one day.

Maserati strongly believes in the collaboration with universities, in fact its environment is comprised of a very young and dynamic workforce of an average age of around 37 years, where almost half of the employees are under 35 and 20% are under 30, and attracts top graduates from the best Italian universities. The company's Innovation Lab is home to simulators capable of reproducing six months' worth of wear and tear in two weeks, thus saving time and money in the development process.

“We are honored to represent the North American territory participating to the private viewing of this very fascinating Innovation Lab that Maserati has founded: for us, having the opportunity to come to Italy and witness the real-world applications of this simulation, which is the next level of what we do with Virtual Formula and our Formula Student teams, is priceless. It’s amazing to perceive the relationship between VI-grade and Maserati and how close they work together to create the best cars” – said Noah Wheeler and Carl Stoye, Cal Poly Racing, winner of the 2019 edition of the Virtual Formula, Electric Drivetrain Category.

“We’d like to thank Maserati and VI-grade for giving us the chance of learning how a development team of first-class cars operates in its everyday activities. Particularly interesting for us was the opportunity of seeing how a company like Maserati uses for commercial purposes, in conjunction with a sophisticated machine like the DiM250 Dynamic Driving Simulator, the same software that we also utilize to develop our Formula Student car” added Marco Antognoli and Mattia Vicari, Dynamis PRC, winner of the 2019 edition of the Virtual Formula, Internal Combustion Category.

“Fortunately, the Maserati Innovation Lab will also collaborate with VI-grade for the upcoming 2020 Virtual Formula season and open its doors again, granting the students an exclusive insight behind the scenes” said Alessio Lombardi, South Europe & UK Sales Director, VI-grade. “Once more, the winners will have the unique opportunity to test the advanced driving simulators used by many OEMs, suppliers and motorsport teams to develop and fine tune their cars, but also to gain relevant experience and knowledge for further races carried out by FSAE. This initiative, jointly organized by us and Maserati, is further proof of how important it is to promote innovation at an early stage and to bridge the gap between universities and the automotive industry.”

About the Maserati Innovation Lab
The Maserati Innovation Lab is a state-of-the-art facility where the cars of today and tomorrow are developed. Here, the digital processes support the product development, applying the exclusive Maserati formula which, by means of an integrated approach, prioritizes the human factor right from the initial phases. Concern with customer needs has been scrupulously incorporated into the virtual simulation process thanks to an exclusive mix of hardware and software. The digital processes supporting product development take place in three major areas: the STATIC Simulator, the latest generation Dynamic Simulator featuring DiM (Driver-in-Motion) technology and the “User eXperience” development labs. By applying these advanced driving simulation solutions right from the starting point of the engineering process, it is possible to achieve a 50% reduction in time-to-market for new cars, to carry out 90% of all development on the simulator and to reduce 40 % the use of physical prototypes. At the same time Maserati is able to strengthen its driver centric strategy during virtual development by combining the Hardware in the Loop (HiL) methodology and the simulators.

About Virtual Formula
VI-grade organizes on a regular basis the Virtual Formula, a competition based upon the rules and regulations of the popular Formula SAE and Formula Student. Based on the usage of VI-Motorsport, VI-grade’s interactive simulation environment for motorsport vehicle modeling and dynamic analysis, Virtual Formula, now at its 11th edition with more than 1000 Formula Student participating teams since its foundation back in 2009, requests all registered teams to use our state-of-the-art racing simulation software to find the best set-up for their car. The participants will then have the chance not only to learn more about vehicle dynamics software, but also to join the VI-grade network of vehicle specialists and software developers. The two winning teams in the internal combustions and electric vehicle category will not only receive unlimited access to the vehicle dynamics software but also the invitation to the annual VI-grade International Conference and the opportunity to visit the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena, Italy.

Darmstadt, December 5, 2019 – VI-grade today announced the 2020 edition of its International Conference.

The event, dedicated to executive managers and experienced engineers belonging to automotive and transportation companies, tier1 suppliers, motorsport teams, universities and research centers from all over the world, will be held on May 13th-14th, 2020 at the HOTEL ME SITGES TERRAMAR, located in the city of Sitges, Spain (in the outskirts of Barcelona).

The conference will give the VI-grade international community of users, partners and prospective customers the opportunity to learn more about how the main players of the worldwide automotive industry currently use simulation and driving simulators to accelerate the development of new vehicles. Once again, particular attention will be given to VI-grade’s current solutions and development plans for real-time simulation, HIL, SIL, traffic simulation and ADAS, autonomous driving, vehicle energy efficiency and tire modeling. The event will offer keynote and technical papers, panel discussions and workshops as well as an interesting technical showcase area in which VI-grade and its partners will present their solutions.

The 2020 International Conference will also feature an Ice Breaker social event in the afternoon of May 12th, when all registered attendees will be invited to an informal get-together at the Applus+ IDIADA premises in Santa Oliva to learn more about how the combined use of state-of-the-art driving simulator technology and fully equipped proving ground facilities can efficiently bridge the gap between testing and simulation, with particular reference to vehicle dynamics, ride and comfort, ADAS/AV, HMI and motorsport applications.

“Building on the success of the previous events, we are extremely happy to announce the 2020 edition of our International Conference, confirming our intent to organize one major event per year for our community of users,” said Guido Bairati, Vice President Global Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. “We are looking forward to giving our international community an opportunity to share the latest projects and advancements realized using our simulation solutions with an experienced audience.”

Abstracts showcasing state-of-the-art applications of VI-grade products and solutions in the automotive and transportation industries can be submitted until January 31st, 2020.

Additional details on the conference program and the workshops will be progressively published under the link conference.vi-grade.com.

Silverstone, Nov 18th, 2019 - Following significant investment from Envision Group and team owner Lei Zhang, leading Formula E team Envision Virgin Racing has completed expansion works on its Silverstone headquarters – including a new fully operational race driving simulator – ahead of the opening rounds of the new season.

Designed to further develop and improve its already extensive race preparations, the UK-based team moved to its new state-of-the-art facilities – located just a stone’s throw from the home of British motor racing – in 2017 and has now put the finishing touches to the 12,000 sq ft premises.

Central to the expansion programme has been the installation of a cutting edge VI-grade race driving simulator, complete with monocoque and Halo, allowing the team and its drivers Sam Bird and Robin Frijns to prepare for the challenges of the championship’s temporary street circuits.



Speaking ahead of the new season, Envision Virgin Racing Managing Director Sylvain Filippi said: “As an independent team, to have finished third last season was a fantastic achievement, but we know the competition will be even tougher this time around, especially with the introduction of new teams and drivers. We know consistency and preparation is going to be crucial, make or break in fact, so we have put huge emphasis on this from our driver line-up through to our entire team personnel, and now of course with our simulator, which we expect to be very important tool for race strategy preparation and driver training.”

Guido Bairati, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing of VI-grade, who supplied the team’s racing simulator, added: “We are very pleased to announce another success in the motorsport’s industry by reporting the completed installation of our driving simulator at Envision Virgin Racing as a turnkey solution. The installation includes proprietary software from VI-grade and related hardware components, as well as a cockpit provided by Envision Virgin Racing equipped with proprietary active belts technology from VI-grade. The STATIC simulator, including a set of Formula E digitized tracks, provides the team with a complete solution that enables them to virtually test and optimise the performance of their race cars, therefore allowing them to agree on, and then deliver, the optimal race performance. We wish Envision Virgin Racing Team all the best for the new upcoming Formula E season.”

About Envision Virgin Racing
Backed by majority owner Envision Group, the Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team is one of the founding and leading outfits in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship –the electric street racing series and the world’s first fully-electric international single-seater category. The team exists to energise the Race Against Climate Change, focusing on accelerating the transition to clean, secure and affordable renewable energy, together with the mass adoption of e-mobility.
 
Launching in 2014, the team was part of the series’ inaugural race held in Beijing and has competed in every race to date with British racer Sam Bird at the helm of the #2 car. Joining the team for a second season is Dutchman Robin Frijns, who successfully returned to Formula E in season five with the Envision Virgin Racing team, securing two wins that season in the new generation car. The team is one of only two to have won races in every season to date - including 10 wins and 25 podiums - and continues to be one of the highest scoring in the championship.
 
Overseeing the team’s operations at the team’s commercial headquarters in London is Managing Director Sylvain Filippi, who has been with the team since day one, together with Team and Sporting Director Leon Price and Technical Director Chris Gorne working out of the team’s operational arm at its new state-of-the-art facilities at Silverstone Park. Envision Group’s Franz Jung will continue to undertake the Chairman of the Board role in season six for Envision Virgin Racing.
 

Modena, November 12th, 2019 – In a surprise move, Maserati is opening the doors to an exclusive and usually off-limits location: the Maserati Innovation Lab.

The Brand’s engineering hub, inaugurated in September 2015 and located on via Emilia Ovest in Modena, is for the first time sharing with the outside world its fundamental role as the Brand’s beating pulse, driving research technology, development and planning.

The Maserati Innovation Lab is a state-of-the-art facility where the cars of today and tomorrow are developed. Here, the digital processes support the product development, applying the exclusive Maserati formula which, by means of an integrated approach, prioritizes the human factor right from the initial phases. Concern with customer needs has been scrupulously incorporated into the virtual simulation process thanks to an exclusive mix of hardware and software. The digital processes supporting product development take place in three major areas: the STATIC Simulator, the latest generation Dynamic Simulator featuring DiM (Driver-in-Motion) technology and the “User eXperience” development labs.

The Product Development hub (or Technical Department) employs more than 1,500 technicians (divided into the Modena offices in Via Emilia Ovest, in Viale Ciro Menotti, via delle Nazioni, in the headquarters of Grugliasco and Balocco). At its headquarters in Via Emilia Ovest covers a total area of 33,744 square meters (of which 14,000 square meters are covered and 19,744 square meters uncovered). More than 1,100 people carry out their activities, the majority of which are engineers, representing 17 different countries. The environment is comprised of a very young and dynamic workforce of an average age of around 37 years. Almost half of the employees are under 35 and 20% are under 30. The organization has grown considerably in recent years, attracting top graduates from the best Italian universities, including those that collaborate with Maserati.

STATIC Simulator 

The STATIC Simulator is the starting point for every experience in the Maserati realm of simulation.

The system is composed of a cockpit, three projectors and high computational power. It is a simple system that helps engineers, from the very initial phase of the development process, obtain immediate feedback from the driver, and makes a major contribution to new model validation.

In particular, Maserati engineering ensures a driver-centred strategy even during virtual development, by creating a link between the Hardware In the Loop (HiL) methodology and the simulator. Using this approach, real subsystems such as steering and braking, ABS and ESC can be added in, to create tests that connect physical and simulated components to provide a test-bed for developing all the characteristics of a new vehicle. Last but not least, driver assist systems can be developed, trialled and validated in a safe environment by reproducing the complex scenarios which may arise anywhere in the world.

DYNAMIC Simulator with latest generation DiM (Driver-in-Motion) technology

The Dynamic Simulator featuring latest generation DiM (Driver-in-Motion) technology, the most modern and advanced exemplar found in Europe, supports the Maserati engineers in the development of all the new models. The Dynamic Simulator incorporates state-of-the-art technology and enables full exploitation of systems' integration thanks to the evolution of proprietary control strategies, cutting development times and costs. It also helps to reduce the number of prototypes and ensures that the Virtual Sign-Off is very close to the final product.

With various directions of movement, this tool generates an effective driving experience, emulating in a virtual environment the driving dynamics of a car in the real world on a wide variety of road surfaces or contexts, including the world's top international racing circuits. The simulator makes it possible to test cars on various racetracks on the same day. Modifications to the vehicle can be made with a few simple clicks and this greatly simplifies the analysis of the data gathered.

The majority of simulators utilize six actuators in order to offer six “degrees of freedom”. The innovative dynamic simulator used at the Innovation Lab takes full advantage of nine actuators, thanks to which it can utilize 3 degrees of freedom with the lower platform and 6 with the upper one. In this way it can offer in total 9 degrees of freedom to accurately reproduce the driving characteristics of a car. All of this enables the engineers to precisely analyse the dynamics of the car, in addition to driving performance and comfort, all on the same moving platform. Another particularly interesting characteristic is a very thin cushion of air which makes the entire platform float over the pavement, enabling dynamic, silent and continuous movement thanks to the electric actuators.

The Dynamic Simulator featuring latest generation DiM (Driver-in-Motion) technology offers tried and tested technology that makes it possible to achieve a 50% reduction in time-to-market for new cars, to carry out 90% of all development on the simulator and to reduce by 40% the use of physical prototypes.

Using the simulator makes it possible to study and emulate the electrified vehicles included in Maserati's future plans even before physical tests become possible. Thus, the new opportunities offered by this different propulsion method can be analysed and explored in ways that keep the Maserati DNA absolutely intact. Weight distribution and the location of the centre of gravity have been effectively optimised thanks to the scope for testing hundreds of different configurations. A centralised logic that guarantees all the car's active contents and its electric traction has been developed, maximising dynamic performances since the entire car provides an integrated reaction to all inputs from the driver. Particular care has been focused on exploiting electric motors' vast potential in terms of power and rapid response.

The “User Experience” Development Labs

The “User eXperience” development labs are fundamental in the design of the human-machine interfaces, one of the major challenges of the latest Maserati development projects. 

The rapid evolution of connectivity and the use of driver assist systems, combined with electrification, generate a vast number of scenarios for multisensorial interaction with the vehicle, which are often completely new and require state-of-the-art tools for managing their extreme complexity, to take full advantage of all the opportunities and deliver a unique user experience, with competitive development times and costs. 

The Maserati driver simulator hub includes a lab dedicated to vehicle ergonomics, enabling accurate reproduction of driving posture, visibility and interactions with the on-board controls and displays, and where the vehicle under development can be driven in any scenario with the utmost realism. 

The integrated design of the user experience is aided by the effective, coherent visual, acoustic or haptic alerts in highly automated driving mode, from the level of distraction generated by the most frequent operations to the accessible layout of the controls, and full information in the different driving modes. 

The ergonomics lab is completed by a set of sophisticated, specialised instrumentation to analyse the various issues that contribute to the user experience. Two examples: the skylight simulator, designed to reproduce lighting conditions at all times of day, at any point in the year and at any latitude. Here there is an in-depth focus on reflection problems, to avoid disturbance at the wheel while still providing solutions with attractive shapes, materials, finishes and colours. 

The psycho-acoustics lab where the soundtrack of future Maseratis is developed: the acoustics of the controls, the audio alerts, the driver assist systems and.... much more! 

The "User eXperience” development labs support the integrated development of ergonomics, the human-machine interface and the vehicle's perceived quality for genuine "user-centred design" dedicated to delivering the distinctive Maserati user experience.
 

Darmstadt und San Francisco, Kalifornien, USA – 7. November 2019 – VI-CarRealTime, die Echtzeit-Fahrzeugsimulation von VI-grade, ist ab sofort bei Rescale verfügbar: Rescale ist eine speziell entwickelte SaaS-Plattform (Software as a Service), als Angebot an die Automobilindustrie für High Performance Computing (HPC) in der Cloud.

Die Software von VI-grade bietet Echtzeit-Simulationen, in der Fahrdynamik- und Regelungstechniker das gleiche Fahrzeugmodell zur Optimierung der Fahrzeugdynamik und des Kontrollsystems verwenden. Die Bereitstellung von VI-CarRealTime auf der Rescale-Plattform ermöglicht Unternehmen aus der Automobilindustrie Hunderte Simulationen gleichzeitig in der Cloud durchzuführen und, bei Bedarf, zusätzliche Softwarelizenzen zu erwerben. VI-CarRealTime kann direkt über die Plattform von Rescale erworben werden und bietet On-Demand-Zugriff auf Cloud HPC- und Simulationssoftware aus einer Hand.

Rescale bietet den Kunden maximale Flexibilität, indem sie entweder bestehende Lizenzen nutzen oder Pay-per-Use-Lizenzen auf der Plattform erwerben. Weiterhin besteht die Möglichkeit auf eine Vielzahl von Hardware-Architekturen zuzugreifen, darunter Bare Metal, virtuelle Server und die lokale Infrastruktur der Kunden. Darüber hinaus bietet das Rescale Administrationsportal den Kundenunternehmen eine größtmögliche Transparenz der Programm-Nutzung durch die Festlegung von Budgets auf Benutzer-, Projekt- und Unternehmensebene.

„Wir freuen uns sehr über die tragende Rolle der Cloud in der Zukunft von Soft- und Hardware in the Loop“, sagte Joris Poort, CEO von Rescale. „Die Integration von VI-grade in unsere On-Demand-Plattform wird die Entwicklungszyklen unserer gemeinsamen Kunden weiter verkürzen und neuen Produkten zu einer noch schnelleren Marktreife verhelfen.“

„Um einen Wettbewerbsvorteil mit der verfügbaren Rechenleistung beizubehalten, benötigt man Zugriff auf modernste Software und aktuelle Hardwarekomponenten. Dies wiederum erfordert kontinuierliche und erhebliche Investitionen“, sagte Guido Bairati, VP Sales & Marketing VI-grade. „Dank der Rescale-Technologie profitieren unsere Kunden von einem Fernzugriff auf die VI-grade Lösung in der Cloud. Diese bietet ihnen praktisch unbegrenzte Rechenfunktionen, um Hunderte von Fahrzeugsimulationen gleichzeitig für schnelle parallele Datenverarbeitung zu starten."

FEV, ein langjähriger Kunde und Partner von VI-grade, nutzt bereits die Vorteile der On-Demand-Verfügbarkeit von VI-CarRealTime über die Rescale Plattform. „Die zunehmende Komplexität von Antriebsstrang und Motor erfordert eine vollständig integrierte simulationsbasierte Entwicklungsmethodik, um den Prozess der Produktentwicklung effizient zu unterstützen“, sagte Michele Caggiano, Managing Director, FEV Italien. „Eine spezielle Methodik für die Simulation und Optimierung von PHEV-Antriebssträngen, FEV MiL Cosimulation, wurde von FEV über VI-CarRealTime entwickelt. Ein Teil hiervon ist eine Cloud-basierte Untersuchung mit der Rescale-Plattform durch Co-Simulation des Fahrzeugmodells und des Antriebsstrangmodells. Dies ermöglicht die Untersuchung des Gesamtsystems und liefert neben Informationen über Emissionen und Verbrauch auch eine Vorhersage zum Einfluss von Antriebsstrangparametern auf die Fahrzeugleistung.“ (Weitere Informationen enthält das von FEV auf der VI-grade International Conference 2019 herausgegebene Paper).

Kunden, die On-Demand VI-CarRealTime Lizenzen über Rescale erwerben möchten, wenden sich direkt an info@vi-grade.com, ihren Rescale Kundenbetreuer oder besuchen /en/solutions/software_on_demand/ für weitere Informationen.
 

Bridging their respective expertise and experiences in simulation and test, VI-grade and Konrad Technologies will jointly demonstrate the new test method for verifying functional and performance of ADAS and Autonomous Driving features at the Automotive Testing Expo USA 2019 Conference and Exhibition

Novi, US – October 16, 2019 – VI-grade and Konrad Technologies today jointly announced they will demonstrate a new test method, Driver in the Loop (DIL) with Sensor Fusion Test, at the Automotive Testing Expo USA 2019 Conference and Exhibition, to be held from October 22nd to October 24th, 2019 in Novi, Michigan.

“4 years ago, Konrad Technologies and our partners pioneered Sensor Fusion HiL and demonstrated how sensor test combines with HiL tests to validate performance of multi sensor configurations with ADAS algorithms” said Michael Konrad, CEO of Konrad Technologies. “Radar, Camera, and Lidar sensors can be tested at sub-system and system level implementations to verify ADAS capability for automated braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and others. Today, together with the VI-grade team, we will show how the sensor test can be extended to DiL with Sensor Fusion Test so that ADAS functionality can be evaluated and optimized to a higher degree in the lab before beginning road tests.”

“Our Driving Simulators allow users to simulate real-world driving conditions including traffic,” said Guido Bairati, VP of Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. “Adding real sensors into the driving simulation loop allows ADAS/AD functionalities to be tested quickly and safely in a lab environment and adds driver reactions to the test parameters, for a more comprehensive analysis that can then be compared with real drive data for optimization cycles. Through the collaboration with Konrad Technologies, we are able to deliver to the automotive industry a link between physical test and simulation-based testing for ADAS/AD algorithms. We keep bridging the gap between testing and simulation in order to help our customers deliver better products in a shorter time!”

For DIL with Sensor Fusion Test, the objects around the vehicle from the drive simulation software are simulated by Konrad Technologies sensor simulators in real-time. And the output of the sensors is then brought back into the software simulation to close the execution loop.
 
The collaboration will be presented on a COMPACT Simulator from VI-grade equipped with sensor technology from Konrad installed in the exhibition area at the Automotive Testing Expo USA 2019 Conference and Exhibition, to be held from October 22nd to October 24th, 2019 in Novi, Michigan.

About Konrad Technologies Worldwide
Konrad Technologies (KT) is a global company and NI Platinum Alliance Partner that offers customized turnkey test solutions in the areas of electronics manufacturing, high-frequency technology, optics and beyond.  Since 1993, Konrad Technologies has successfully developed, designed and integrated customer-specific test solutions providing customers with R&D, qualification, and manufacturing of electronic products with tools to fulfill their quality goals, accelerate engineering and development throughput. Customers in a wide range of industries from Automotive, Aerospace and Defense, Wireless Communications, Consumer Electronics, Medical, Semiconductor, General Electronic Manufacturing to Industrial Automation use KT’s integrated hardware and software platform-based solutions to improve their performance worldwide. Konrad Technologies is a founding member of ADAS iiT, a consortium that provides a complete test solution for autonomous driving.

Konrad-Technologies, KT and Konrad GmbH are all representative of Konrad Technologies worldwide. Other products and company names listed are trademarks of their respective companies. For more information about Konrad Technologies Solutions and upcoming events, please visit www.konrad-technologies.com.

Windsor, Ontario, 2. Oktober 2019 – Das R&D-Zentrum (Automotive Research and Development Centre, ARDC) von Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) hat kürzlich sein neues VDS-Labor (Vehicle Dynamics Simulator) eingeweiht. Das ultimative Highlight: Der leistungsfähigste Fahrsimulator Nordamerikas. Mit seinen neun Freiheitsgraden und einer spezifischen Fahrer-Kalibrierung vermittelt der von VI-grade entwickelte DiM250-Simulator ein nahezu realistisches Fahrgefühl.

Der neue VDS ist eine Spitzentechnologie, die die Fahrdynamik eines Fahrzeugs auf virtuellen Teststrecken in Echtzeit darstellt. Die innovative Lösung bildet das Fahren und das Handling eines Fahrzeugs auf einer Vielzahl von simulierten Fahrbahnoberflächen und Landschaften ab.

Die meisten Fahrsimulatoren arbeiten mit sechs „Freiheitsgraden“. Um die Fahr-, Handlings- und Beschleunigungseigenschaften eines Fahrzeugs exakt zu reproduzieren, verwendet das VDS-System neun Freiheitsgrade. Die zusätzlichen Bewegungsbereiche kommen dem Fahren in einem realen Fahrzeug so nah wie nie zuvor.

Ein besonderes Merkmal des neuen VDS ist ein extrem dünnes Luftpolster. Durch diese besondere Konstruktion schwebt die gesamte Bewegungsplattform wie ein Luftkissenfahrzeug über dem Boden und ermöglicht eine ruhige, reibungslose Bewegung durch die leistungsstarken Elektromotoren.

Der neue Simulator kann um Subsysteme wie Bremse und Lenkung, ABS (Antiblockiersystem) und ESC (elektronische Stabilitätskontrolle) erweitert werden, um einen Hardware-in-the-Loop-Prüfstand zu schaffen. Die realitätsnahe Gestaltung der Simulation ermöglicht eine valide Beurteilung der Funktionen, verkürzt die Entwicklungszeit und damit die Kosten.

„Die Möglichkeit, ein Fahrerlebnis mit HiL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) zu simulieren, ist der Schlüssel für die Engineering-Leistungen unserer Kunden. Außerdem hilft uns das System dabei, notwendige Veränderungen der Konstruktion viel früher im Entwicklungsprozess zu erkennen“, sagt Guido Bairati, VP Sales und Marketing, VI-grade. „Durch unsere Simulatoren schaffen wir für unsere Kunden eine virtuelle Testumgebung für eine Vielzahl von Prüfkriterien. So können sie beispielsweise das Fahrverhalten und das Handling eines Fahrzeugs beurteilen, Tests und Validierung der Sensortechnologie für Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)-Anwendungen durchführen, verschiedene Human Machine Interface (HMI)-Konfigurationen bewerten und auf Fahrerablenkungen und entsprechende Manöver testen.“

Der Simulator kann jede Fahrzeugkarosserie, Straße und Umgebung nachbilden. Die entsprechende Umgebung wird gescannt und die erstellten Daten bilden die Teststrecke auf den fünf Bildschirmen ab. Ein vorhandenes Beispiel ist das Gelände von FCA in Chelsea, Michigan. Alle Daten werden schließlich zu einer virtuellen Echtzeit-Umgebung zusammengefügt, die alle Höhenänderungen, Nebenstraßen und Schlaglöcher beinhaltet.

Der VDS wird zunächst zur Entwicklung der Fahrdynamik eingesetzt. Künftig soll er jedoch auch bei der Entwicklung von ADAS- und HMI-Systemen eine Rolle spielen. 
 

Santa Oliva (Spanien), 14. August 2019 – Simulatoren sind ein elementares Werkzeug für die Fahrzeugentwicklung. Applus+ IDIADA hat sein neues Simulationslabor um zwei Systeme von VI-grade erweitert: Der DiM250 und ein kompakter Simulator ermöglichen virtuelle Tests, die die Entwicklungszeiten in Bereichen wie Fahrwerk, Fahrdynamik und CAV (Connected and Autonomous Vehicle) deutlich reduzieren.

IDIADA hebt damit Synergien zwischen realen Straßentests und virtuellen Testverfahren. Der Entwicklungsdienstleister bietet so die Möglichkeit, die im physischen Straßentest gewonnenen Daten direkt mit den unternehmenseigenen hochauflösenden Grafikszenarien und Straßendaten der IDIADA Teststrecken zu korrelieren. 

„Der Fahrsimulator ist ein Schlüsselwerkzeug bei unseren Entwicklungsprojekten für Fahrwerk und Fahrdynamik, da er virtuelle und reale Tests miteinander verbindet“, sagte Roger Mateu, Head of Vehicle Dynamics and NVH bei Applus+ IDIADA.

„Fahrsimulatoren sind aus der Entwicklung und Erprobung neuer Fahrzeuge nicht mehr wegzudenken. Ihre Ergebnisse sind sehr exakt. Die virtuellen Modelle haben einen hohen Level an Präzision erreicht, wie auch die Bewegungsplattform und die gerenderten Teststrecken. CAE („Computer-aided engineering“)-Ingenieure und Testfahrer können wichtige Entscheidungen treffen, bevor überhaupt der erste Prototyp gebaut wird und auf die Teststrecke geht. IDIADA hat sich für unseren Dynamic Driving Simulator DiM250 sowie den COMPACT Simulator entschieden und bietet seinen Kunden somit ein multidisziplinäres Labor für eine bessere und schnellere Fahrzeugentwicklung. IDIADAs Entscheidung ist ein Zeichen für die Revolution, die sich derzeit in der Autoentwicklung vollzieht und macht die Ingenieure und Testfahrer fit für die Zukunft“, kommentiert Alessio Lombardi, South Europe Sales Director bei VI-grade.

Hauptmerkmal des neuen Simulationslabors ist der dynamische DiM250 Simulator. Das System überzeugt durch extrem kurze Reaktionszeiten sowie hohe Frequenzen. Der Simulator erzeugt Längs-, Quer- und Drehbeschleunigungskräfte bis zu 2,5 g. Darüber hinaus lässt sich mit seiner Hilfe ein breites Spektrum fahrdynamischer Manöver und komplexer Fahrsituationen nachstellen. Der DiM250 wird durch einen kompakten Fahrsimulator ergänzt, der – abgesehen von seinem Bewegungssystem – über dieselben Hauptmerkmale verfügt. 

Marburg, 25. Juli 2019 – Mit dem Simulator auf Sekundenjagd: Bevor die Boliden auf der Strecke ihre Performance zeigen, ist viel virtuelle Entwicklungs- und Vorbereitungsarbeit notwendig. Sechs der Top 10 Teams, darunter auch die drei Siegerteams, verwenden daher VI-grades Fahrsimulatoren. Ein virtuelles Training ist der Schlüssel, um vor dem Rennen zu experimentieren und sich intensiv auf das reale Fahrerlebnis vorzubereiten. 

Eine weitere spannende Saison der vollelektrischen Formel E Serie ist zu Ende: 13 Rennen mit 9 verschiedenen Siegern aus 8 unterschiedlichen Teams hielten die Spannungskurve bis zum Showdown in New York vergangene Woche konstant aufrecht. Jean-Eric Vergne, im „Big Apple“ zum zweiten Mal in Folge zum Meister der E-Serie gekrönt, holte auch für DS Techeetah den Teamtitel. Es folgten auf den Plätzen Vize-Meister Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler und Envision Virgin Racing. Alle drei Siegerteams nutzen eine Kombination aus VI-grades statischen und dynamischen Fahrsimulatoren zur Vorbereitung auf die Rennen.

„Die Rennvorbereitung für diese Saison fand zu fast 100% auf unserem dynamischen Fahrsimulator von VI-grade statt. Er ist ein entscheidendes Werkzeug für unsere Ingenieure, um vor dem Rennen zu experimentieren und die optimale Energiebilanz zu ermitteln. Auf der Strecke gibt es dafür später nur begrenzt Zeit“, sagte Joachim Hausner, Koordinatior Fahrsimulator bei Audi Motorsport. „Auch nach dem Rennen nutzen wir den Fahrsimulator, um unsere Leistung im Rennen zu bewerten und einige Parameter zu überprüfen.“

„Alle Formel E Rennen sind eintägig. Somit fehlt den Teams die Zeit, erst vor Ort das Fahrzeug-Setup zu ändern oder gar das Auto direkt auf der Rennstrecke zu testen“, sagt Diego Minen, Chief Technical Officer, VI-grade. „Der enge Zeitplan zwingt die Hersteller, sich auf Fahrsimulationstechnologien wie unsere zu verlassen. Wir sind stolz, dass sechs der Top 10 Teams und darunter auch die die Top 3 in der 5. FoE-Meisterschaft unsere Simulator-Technologie einsetzen. Wir freuen uns darauf, auch weiterhin zu ihren Erfolgen beizutragen“.

„Die Formel E stellt uns aus unterschiedlichen Gründen vor neue Herausforderungen in der Entwicklung von Fahrsimulator-Technologien“, ergänzte Minen. „Das hohe Drehmoment bei niedriger Drehzahl und spezielle Bremsstrategien zur Energierückgewinnung unterscheiden E-Fahrzeuge stark von den Boliden anderer Formel-Serien. Das heißt, sie beschleunigen und bremsen anders. Das wiederum führt zu einer Reihe neuer Herausforderungen für unsere Multi-Cueing-Technologie, die das Fahrergefühl, d.h. die Kombination von Bewegungsplattform und Körperkontakt mit aktiven Sicherheitsgurten, exakt abbildet. Weiterhin gilt es, die im Fahrzeug gespeicherte Energie sehr sorgfältig zu managen, um die Batteriereichweite bis zum Ziel voll auszuschöpfen. Etwaige Unterschiede der Strecke vor Ort gegenüber den bereitgestellten FIA-Trackdaten führen dazu, dass in letzter Minute auch Änderungen am virtuellen Grafikmodell vorgenommen werden müssen. Mit unserer Technologie sind wir in der Lage, diese Anforderungen zu erfüllen. In enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Rennteams erzielen wir sehr realistische Ergebnisse – selbst bei so späten Anpassungen“.

Vor einigen Jahren war der Motorsport Haupttreiber bei der Entwicklung und Einführung von Fahrsimulatoren. Und noch immer spielt er eine sehr wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung rund um Simulatoren. Heute ist VI-grade ein Schlüsselspieler in der Fahrsimulatoren-Branche. Das Unternehmen bietet mehr als 50 Simulatoren, die weltweit bei OEMs, Motorsport-Teams, Tier-1-Lieferanten und Engineering/F&E-Zentren installiert sind.

Erfahren Sie mehr über VI-grades Fahrsimulatoren und fordern Sie Ihre eigene Konfiguration an: www.vi-grade.com. 

Marburg, 3. Juni 2019 – Ein voller Erfolg: VI-grade zieht eine rundum positive Bilanz zur International Conference 2019. Die Veranstaltung unter dem Motto „Bridging the gap between testing and simulation“ fand vom 14. bis 15. Mai im Congress Park in Hanau (bei Frankfurt am Main) statt.

Insgesamt 242 Ingenieure, Manager und Simulationsexperten aus über 100 Automobil- und Transportunternehmen, Universitäten und Forschungszentren aus 20 Ländern waren vertreten. Zwei Tage lang diskutierten die Besucher die neusten Simulationstrends und tauschten sich mit anderen Anwendern und Partnern über ihre Erfahrungen mit den VI-grade-Technologien aus. 

Zum gegenseitigen Beschnuppern fanden sich die Teilnehmer am Vorabend der Konferenz, am 13. Mai, zu einem Icebreaker-Event im Honda Europe R&D Center in Offenbach ein. Dort konnten die Gäste in entspannter Atmosphäre den weltweit ersten voll installierten DiM250 Fahrsimulator live in Aktion erleben.

Rund 97 % der Teilnehmer bewerteten das Format mit seiner umfangreichen Agenda und den 35 Präsentationen renommierter internationaler Unternehmen als „sehr gut“ bis „ausgezeichnet“. Unter den zahlreichen Vortragenden befanden sich Vertreter von 3D Mapping, Applus+ IDIADA, Automobili Lamborghini, Automotive Simulation Center Stuttgart, Benteler, BMW Motorrad, Brüel & Kjær, Concurrent Real-Time, Danisi Engineering, FCA Latam, FEV, Fraunhofer ITWM, Hyundai Motor Europe, Konrad Technologies, MAGNA Steyr, Maserati, Mercedes AMG, MegaRide & Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Michelin, Millbrook Proving Ground, MSC Software, Multimatic, Politecnico di Milano, Pontificial Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Roborace, Rescale, Showa, Smart Eye, TODEMA & Rebel Dynamics, Transpolis, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, University of Catania, Virtual Vehicle, Volvo Cars und WIVW.

Michael Bidlingmeier (Mercedes-AMG) präsentierte ein Paper, das die Zuhörer zur besten Präsentation der diesjährigen International Conference kürten. Unter dem Titel „Team Up the Simulator: Development of an HyperCar“, referierte er über die Installation und Anwendung von VI-grades dynamischen Fahrsimulator DiM250 im Entwicklungsprozess bei Mercedes-AMG und insbesondere am Beispiel des „project one“ HyperCar. 

Lucas Di Grassi, Rennfahrer und CEO von Roborace, hielt einen Keynote-Vortrag zur Zukunft des Motorsports. Dabei thematisierte er vor allem die sich ändernden Branchenprioritäten und neue Technologien wie künstliche Intelligenz und autonomes Fahren sowie ihre Auswirkungen auf den Motorsport.

Fabio Gerbino und Luca Dusini (Maserati) präsentierten gemeinsam mit Rutger Uil (Goodyear) einen neuen Ansatz in der Reifenentwicklung durch Einsatz eines Fahrsimulators. Das Ziel: die Fahrzeugperformance vorherzusagen und zu optimieren. Der Wettbewerb in der Automobilindustrie ist härter denn je. Aus diesem Grund nimmt die Bedeutung von Simulationswerkzeugen weiter zu, um die immer kürzeren Entwicklungszeiten und die drastische Reduzierung von Fahrversuchen zu kompensieren. 

Während der Konferenz wurden „Dynamis PRC - Politecnico di Milano, Italien“ und „Cal Poly Racing, California, USA“ jeweils in den Kategorien für Fahrzeuge mit Verbrennungsmotor und Elektroantrieb, mit dem ersten Preis des Virtual Formula Wettbewerbs 2019 ausgezeichnet. Beide Teams wurden mit einem kompletten VI-grade Softwarepaket und einem eintägigen Workshop am Maserati Fahrsimulator in Modena, Italien, belohnt.

„Sehr gut, wie immer“; „Unübertroffene Organisation. Ausgezeichnete Liebe zum Detail“; „Vielfältige Präsentationen. Informative und interessante Aspekte des Ingenieurwesens werden behandelt. Gut gemacht“; „Immer ein Erfolg“; „Mein erster Besuch auf der VI-grade-Conference war eine tolle Erfahrung“; „Ich bin zufrieden und die Veranstaltung entsprach meinen Erwartungen. Vielen Dank für die tolle Veranstaltung! Bis zum nächsten Jahr! ...“ sind nur einige Kommentare der Teilnehmer.

Die Veranstaltung wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit Saginomiya und Danisi Engineering (Platinum-Sponsoren), MSC Software, Sim.Co.VR, Concurrent Real-Time, FEV, TODEMA, Barco, domeprojection, Millbrook und Brüel & Kjær (Gold-Sponsoren), MegaRide, Horiba Mira, SmartEye, rescale, 3D Mapping, Konrad Technologies, Virtual Vehicle, Multimatic, BE CAE& Test, Solize, Applus+ IDIADA und Fraunhofer ITWM (Silber-Sponsoren) sowie Flow The Kitchen als technischer Sponsor organisiert.

Weitere Informationen zur Veranstaltung, Bilder oder Downloads ausgewählter Protokolle finden Sie unter https://conference.vi-grade.com. 

Termin und Ort der International Conference 2020 werden in Kürze bekannt gegeben.

Novi (Michigan), 23. Mai 2019 – VI-grade und Multimatic bauen im Großraum Detroit, USA, das SimCenter, ein fortschrittliches Zentrum für Fahrzeugentwicklung und Fahrsimulation. Multimatic, ein weltweit führender Hersteller von Fahrdynamiksystemen, betreibt die neue Anlage in Erweiterung seiner Fahrsimulatorkapazitäten in Kanada und England. Herzstück des Zentrums ist VI-grades DiM 250 Simulator. Im dritten Quartal 2019 soll der Betrieb starten.
Das SimCenter ist auf die schnelle und kostengünstige Entwicklung von Fahrzeugsystemen der nächsten Generation ausgelegt – Funktionen wie Fahrerassistenz und autonomes Fahren inklusive. Es ermöglicht die Integration von Software (Software-in-the-Loop (SiL)) und Hardware (Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL)) in eine umfassende virtuelle Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL)-Welt.

Das Ergebnis überzeugt: Mit dem Zentrum gelingt es VI-grade und Multimatic die Diskrepanz zwischen simulationsbasierten Testumgebungen und realen Fahrzeugtests zu überwinden. Außerdem wird das SimCenter Nordamerikas ersten Fahrsimulator von VI-grades DiM 250 (Driver-in-Motion)-Serie beherbergen.
VI-grades Lösung basiert auf einem revolutionären, patentierten System mit neun Freiheitsgraden („motion actuators“). Daraus ergibt sich ein enormes Anwendungsspektrum bei gleichzeitig hoher Betriebssteifigkeit. Der Simulator kann somit sowohl nieder- als auch hochfrequente Reize präzise reproduzieren. Das macht den DiM 250 zu einem exzellenten Engineering-Tool, mit dem sich Fahrdynamik und Fahrverhalten in der virtuellen Welt so effektiv wie nie zuvor erleben lassen.

„Unsere Unternehmensphilosophie, „Stärke durch Technologie“, treibt uns täglich zu Innovation und höchster Produktqualität an. Das SimCenter ist der nächste wichtige Schritt für die Entwicklung unseres Unternehmens und seiner Produkte. Die Technologie, die VI-grade mit dem Driver-in-Motion-System entwickelt hat, ist außergewöhnlich. Wir sind stolz darauf, die USA-Premiere des DiM 250 feiern zu können und freuen uns auf die weitere technische Partnerschaft mit VI-grade. Die Technologie des Unternehmens wird uns bei zukünftigen Innovationen auf einem hart umkämpften Markt unterstützen“, sagte Michael Guttilla, Executive Vice President of Engineering, Multimatic.

„Infolge unserer langjährigen Partnerschaft werden beide Unternehmen vom Einsatz unserer Fahrsimulationstechnologie bei Multimatic profitieren“, sagte Jürgen Fett, Vice President Partners and SimCenters, VI-grade. „DiM 250 ist unsere bisher leistungsstärkste Fahrsimulationsplattform. Wir freuen uns sehr darüber, unseren nordamerikanischen Automobil- und Motorsportkunden diese Technologie durch das neue SimCenter zugänglich zu machen.“

Bridging their respective expertise and experiences in simulation and test, VI-grade and Konrad Technologies will jointly demonstrate the new test method for verifying functional and performance of ADAS and Autonomous Driving features at the Automotive Testing Expo and Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo 2019

Stuttgart, Germany – May 21st, 2019 – VI-grade and Konrad Technologies today jointly announced they will demonstrate a new test method, Driver in the Loop (DIL) with Sensor Fusion Test, at the Automotive Testing Expo Europe and Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.

“4 years ago, Konrad Technologies and our partners pioneered Sensor Fusion HiL and demonstrated how sensor test combines with HiL tests to validate performance of multi sensor configurations with ADAS algorithms,“ said Michael Konrad, CEO of Konrad Technologies. „Radar, Camera, and Lidar sensors can be tested at sub-system and system level implementations to verify ADAS capability for automated braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and others.Today, together with the VI-grade team, we will show how the sensor test can be extended to DiL with Sensor Fusion Test so that ADAS functionality can be evaluated and optimized to a higher degree in the lab before beginning road tests.“

“The VI-grade Driver in Motion (DiM) 150 simulator offers a complete driver behavior and 9 degrees of vehicle movement to simulate a real-world drive situation including traffic simulations,” said Guido Bairati, VP of Sales for VI-grade. “Adding sensors into the drive simulation loop allows ADAS/AD functionality to be tested safely in a lab environment and adds driver reaction to the test parameters for a more comprehensive test that can then be compared with drive test data for optimization cycles. Through this collaboration with Konrad Technologies, we have been able to quickly deliver a link between physical test and simulation-based testing for ADAS/AD features to the automotive market.“

For DIL with Sensor Fusion Test, the objects around the vehicle from the drive simulation software are simulated by Konrad Technologies sensor simulators in real-time. And the output of the sensors are then brought back into the software simulation to close the execution loop.
 
The collaboration will be presented at the 2019 Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo event (Halle 6, booth AV6030) as well as through a joint presentation titled “Driver in the Loop (DIL) with Sensor Fusion Test” included in the official conference program of the same conference.

About Konrad Technologies Worldwide
Konrad Technologies (KT) is a global company and NI Platinum Alliance Partner that offers customized turnkey test solutions in the areas of electronics manufacturing, high-frequency technology, optics and beyond.  Since 1993, Konrad Technologies has successfully developed, designed and integrated customer-specific test solutions providing customers with R&D, qualification, and manufacturing of electronic products with tools to fulfill their quality goals, accelerate engineering and development throughput. Customers in a wide range of industries from Automotive, Aerospace and Defense, Wireless Communications, Consumer Electronics, Medical, Semiconductor, General Electronic Manufacturing to Industrial Automation use KT’s integrated hardware and software platform-based solutions to improve their performance worldwide. Konrad Technologies is a founding member of ADAS iiT, a consortium that provides a complete test solution for autonomous driving.

Konrad-Technologies, KT and Konrad GmbH are all representative of Konrad Technologies worldwide. Other products and company names listed are trademarks of their respective companies. For more information about Konrad Technologies Solutions and upcoming events, please visit www.konrad-technologies.com.

Major release of real-time software (VI-CarRealTime and VI-Driver), vertical products (VI-Automotive, VI-Motorcycle, VI-Aircraft) and driving simulation solutions (VI-DriveSim) bring to customers better flexibility, an improved user experience and support of real-time applications for more advanced components

Marburg, May 2nd, 2019 – VI-grade today announced the release of v19.0 of its software product suite. The release includes major product features and several usability enhancements in the following products: VI-CarRealTime and VI-Driver (real-time software); VI-DriveSim (driving simulation solutions); and VI-Automotive, VI-Motorcycle, VI-Aircraft (vertical products).

Selected new features of VI-CarRealTime v19.0 include:

• Investigation Mode:
  • Automatic model variant response module
  • Allows to easily execute a given plan of experiments
    • Define model parameters values and range
    • Select events or scenario to be tested
    • Define the metric to be monitored
  • Automatically generate the related reports
     
• Model improvements:
  • New engine mount layout options (bushings on body chassis, torque
  • Vehicle chassis flexibility with body-on-frame architecture
  • New demo vehicles
    • SUV crossover
    • Pick-up truck
  • Improved driveline modelling options, to specify e.g. gear shifting maps or specific inertias.
  • Design time scaling factors for suspension elements (dampers, springs, 
  • bumpers…) 
     
• Tire Models
  • CDTire RealTime
    • Available for handling maneuvers
  • FTire 2019-1
    • acc & /hil versions integration
    • Improved computational efficiency
  • TameTire 5.1
  • MF-Tyre/MF-Swift 7.3
  • MegaRide
    • AdheRide/ThermoRide models integration
    • Realtime capable version available
       
• Adams Car Interface: new properties export added
  • Frequency bushing
  • Rack & pinion (Pfeffer model)
  • Suspension auxiliary longitudinal dynamics identification
     
• Vehicle Performance modules
  • VI-SpeedGen can optionally consider the suspension travel while predicting the limit speed profile computation
  • (For motorsport applications): Aerodynamic balance and electric motors      regeneration state can be parametrized on the on-track position
     
• Miscellaneous
  • VI-CarRealTime solver now able to produce additional output signals:
    • Roll center height for all full vehicle simulations
    • ABS & TCS activity
  • Possibility to configure multiple solver plugins
  • Scriptable (python) custom post-processing
  • VI-CarRealTime SDK now includes an executable able to perform simulations with forced “Save&Restore” operation

Selected new features of VI-DriveSim v19.0 include:

• VI-DriveSim environment opened to 3rd party vehicle solvers
  • Protocol documentation
  • Template for Matlab/Simulink
• Input File management
  • VI-CarRealTime model input files can be used for different experiments:
    • Override road data file
    • Redefine vehicle initial position/orientation
  • Possible to inherit the lap sensor directly from the road file (explicit reference to a drd file still supported for special cases)
• Steering feedback
  • Support of angle tracking control mode in addition to the regular torque tracking mode
• Body Feedback
  • Active belts systems with independent left/right actuators now supported by the graphical interface

“I’m very impressed with the new DOE expansion (Investigation Mode) of VI-CarRealTime v19. For us it will be one of the most significant updates VI-CarRealTime has introduced over the past releases” – said one of the customers participating to the VI-CarRealTime v19 beta program.

The new releases, developed on top of Adams2018, are available on the completely revamped VI-grade download area at the link: /en/reserved_area/software_download.

A complete list of new features and enhancements can be found in the Release Notes documents available for download at the same link.

11th Conference dedicated to the worldwide VI-grade community to be held in Hanau (Frankfurt), Germany on May 13th-15th, 2019

Marburg, March 6, 2019 – VI-grade today announced the first round of sponsors and speakers of the 2019 edition of its International Conference, as well the location of the Ice-Breaker event.

The event, dedicated to executive managers and experienced engineers belonging to automotive and transportation companies, engineering firms and universities as well as research centers all over the world, is to be held at the Congress Park conference center in the city of Hanau near Frankfurt, Germany, on May 14-15, 2019.

The conference will feature several keynote and technical presentations from renowned representatives from worldwide automotive manufacturers, suppliers and research centers such as: Applus IDIADA, Benteler Automotive, Danisi Engineering, FCA LATAM, Fondazione Democenter, Fraunhofer ITWM, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH, Konrad Technologies, MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik, Maserati, Multimatic, Roborace, Transpolis, Volvo Car Corporation, Showa. Further details on the content of the presentations – mostly oriented to topics such as real-time simulation, HIL, SIL, traffic simulation and ADAS, autonomous driving, vehicle energy efficiency and tire modeling – as well as additional speakers will be announced later on.

Additionally, in occasion of our traditional ice-breaker event, all conference attendees will be invited to an informal get-together at Honda Europe R&D center in Offenbach on May 13th at 6pm to see the world’s first fully installed DiM250 driving simulator live and in action. In a relaxed atmosphere, guests will have the opportunity to discuss the latest trends and forthcoming driving simulation technologies and also to network among the industry.

“We are looking forward to giving our ever-growing international community an opportunity to share the latest projects and advancements realized using our simulation solutions with an experienced audience” said Guido Bairati, Vice President Global Sales, VI-grade.

The event is produced thanks to the precious support of a growing list sponsors and partners that already includes confirmed participation from Danisi Engineering and Saginomiya (Platinum Sponsors); Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, DomeProjection, SimCoVr, MSC Software, Todema (Golden Sponsors); 3D Mapping, BE CAE&Test, CSM, Horiba Mira, Konrad Technologies, Megaride, Millbrook Proving Ground, Multimatic, Rescale, SmartEye, Virtual Vehicle Research Institute (Silver Sponsors) and with the technical sponsorship of “Flow the Kitchen” Catering.

Additional details on the conference program (finalized list of sponsors and speakers as well as logistic information) will be progressively published under the link https://conference.vi-grade.com.

Marburg, 12. Februar 2019 – VI-grade bestätigt heute die Teilnahme von Lucas Di Grassi als einen der Hauptredner bei VI-grades International Conference 2019. Die diesjährige Konferenz findet vom 14. bis 15. Mai 2019 im Congress Park in Hanau bei Frankfurt/Main statt.

In seinem Vortrag wird Di Grassi über die zukünftige Rolle des Motorsports sprechen und darauf eingehen, wie die wechselnden Anforderungen der Industrie und neue Technologien, wie künstliche Intelligenz und autonomes Fahren, den Sektor verändern werden.

Der in Sao Paolo geborene Brasilianer Lucas Di Grassi ist ein echtes Allround-Talent. Er feierte nicht nur zahlreiche Siege als Rennfahrer in der Formel E, sondern übernimmt auch abseits der Rennstrecke wichtige Funktionen. Als einer der Mitbegründer und ersten Botschafter der Formel E steigerte Lucas Di Grassi nicht nur den Bekanntheitsgrad der rein elektrischen Rennserie, sondern lenkte den Blick der Öffentlichkeit auch immer wieder auf Probleme wie die Erderwärmung und die nachlassende Luftqualität. 

Mit seiner langjährigen Erfahrung als Rennfahrer sowie seiner Arbeit als derzeitiger Geschäftsführer von Roborace, der weltweit ersten Rennserie von künstlicher Intelligenz gesteuerten Autos, will er in Zukunft das autonome Fahren für eine neue Zuschauergeneration aufregender und spannender machen. „Wir wollen mit Roborace über die Grenzen des Motorsports hinausgehen und uns mit dieser Plattform auf den praxisrelevanten Teil des autonomen Fahrens konzentrieren“, erklärt Di Grassi. 

Über die VI-grade International Conference 2019
Die Veranstaltung richtet sich an Führungskräfte und erfahrene Ingenieure von Automobil- und Verkehrsunternehmen, Ingenieurbüros, Universitäten und Forschungszentren aus aller Welt. Sie bietet der internationalen VI-grade Community die Chance, die neuesten Trends in den Bereichen System-Level Virtual Engineering, Hardware-in-the-Loop(HiL)-Anwendungen, Steuerung und Fahrsimulation zu diskutieren. Bei der diesjährigen Konferenz lädt VI-grade bereits am 13. Mai nachmittags alle Teilnehmer zu einem Icebreaker-Event ein, bei dem sie sich in lockerer Runde über neue und zukünftige Fahrsimulationstechnologien informieren können, die von VI-grade und den Partnern des Unternehmens angeboten werden (Ort und weitere Einzelheiten zum Icebreaker-Event werden noch bekanntgegeben). Danisi Engineering, Saginomiya, Barco, Concurrent Real-Time und SimCoVR, Megaride haben bereits ihre Teilnahme als Sponsoren und Partner bestätigt. Weitere Sponsoren, Partner und Redner werden später noch bekanntgegeben.
Weitere Informationen über die Konferenz finden Sie unter diesem Link: https://conference.vi-grade.com/ 

Leading UK-based Formula E team to install static race simulator from VI-grade to further develop and improve the team’s race preparations

Marburg, February 6, 2019 – Envision Virgin Racing, the current leading team in the all-electric Formula E series, has this week begun work on expanding its operational headquarters at Silverstone Park, to further develop and improve the team’s race preparations. The UK-based outfit moved to its new state-of-the-art facilities – located just a stone’s throw from the home of British motor racing – in 2017, ahead of the fourth season of the FIA Formula E Championship.
 
Now, due to continued expansion, the team is adding a mezzanine floor to its existing facilities, including the installation of a cutting-edge VI-grade racing simulator. The extension plans, due to be completed by the summer in time for the next Formula E season, also allow for more work space; with all being built in keeping with the rest of the site, which adheres to the ‘Very Good’ energy sustainability standards set by the government’s BREEAM agency, as well as being certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust.

Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director for the team, said: “As one of the founding and most successful Formula E teams, it’s fantastic to watch the team grow year-on-year. Moving to Silverstone Park was an obvious choice due to the facilities, skillset and like-minded businesses on our doorstep. Now, after being here less than two years, we’re in a position to implement the second phase of the development, thanks to the investment and foresight of the team’s new majority owners, Envision Group. Once complete, the new work areas and simulator will help further improve the quality of our race preparation for season six, as well as show our continued commitment to Formula E.”

Envision Group’s Franz Jung and Chairman of the Board said: “We fully support the team and want to continue building on the team’s already impressive legacy. Formula E is becoming increasingly competitive, so we know how important this type of investment is to help stay ahead of the competition.”
 
John Williams, Managing Director of VI-grade Ltd who will be supplying the team’s racing simulator, added: “We are very pleased to announce another success in the motorsports industry by reporting the adoption of our driving simulator at Envision Virgin Racing as a turnkey solution. The installation includes proprietary software from VI-grade and related hardware components, as well as a cockpit provided by Envision Virgin Racing equipped with proprietary active belts technology from VI-grade. The simulator, including a set of Formula E digitized tracks, will provide the customer with a complete solution that will enable them to virtually test and optimise the performance of their race cars, therefore allowing them to agree on, and then deliver, the optimal race performance.”
 
For more information on Envision Virgin Racing, including access to the team’s media site, visit www.envisionvirginracing.com.