Pirelli further reduces tire development time thanks to brand-new VI-grade STATIC simulator
Milan, February 25, 2020 – VI-grade today announced the inauguration of the brand-new STATIC driving simulator featuring active technologies to precisely replicate vehicle and tire characteristics at Pirelli’s renowned research and development division in Milan, Italy. The state-of-the art driving simulator provided by VI-grade will be mainly utilized for the tire development for FIA Formula One World Championship, motorsport and road-going tires, reducing development cycles.
Compared to traditional development methods, the STATIC simulator allows a virtual model of any car – either supplied by the manufacturer or produced internally – to be quickly programmed into the system, while joint design and development work can also be carried out on the manufacturer’s own driving simulator. This means that tire development lead times remain perfectly in step with those of the cars that they are destined for, with more new models coming out more frequently these days. Furthermore, the use of the new driving simulator to maximize the virtual development phase means that the number of actual physical prototypes made is reduced, underpinning Pirelli’s sustainability approach.
Featuring a wrap-round 210-degrees panoramic screen, 7.5 meters in diameter, the simulation technology can visually reproduce a wide-range of different driving conditions, roads and circuits. At the heart of the systems is a static car equipped with various active technologies to exactly reproduce the sensations that any driver would feel in a real car. Equipped with a driver’s seat, steering wheel, seat belts, and different shaker systems, the simulator can precisely replicate the movements of the suspension and the engine.
With all virtual development processes already developed by Pirelli and thanks to the cutting-edge driving simulation technology, there is now a 30% reduction in average development time for new tires, thanks to faster assessment of virtual prototypes produced for different car models.
“We are delighted to report the adoption of our STATIC driving simulator at Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli,” said Alessio Lombardi, Sales Director, South Europe and UK, VI-grade. “This confirms the ongoing trend that sees international Tier1 suppliers implement our driving simulator solutions, with the aim of better collaborating with automotive OEMs”.
About the STATIC Simulator
The STATIC Simulator by VI-grade is VI-grade’s professional solution for immersive and realistic driving experience. The STATIC Simulator is based on the same VI-DriveSim software package used on Compact Simulators and DiM Dynamic Simulators from VI-grade. It is also fully compatible with third-party software solutions. This enables customers to leverage previous investments and use the same toolchain both on the static simulator and on a dynamic one. HMI, Ride&Handling, NVH and ADAS are some of the disciplines that can be investigated using a static simulator by VI-grade. Complementary technologies such as VI-BioTelemetry, VI-ActiveSeat and VI-ActiveBelts, are also compatible with the STATIC simulator. Thanks to the real-time hardware infrastructure, the Static Simulator is also suitable for software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop applications.
Compared to traditional development methods, the STATIC simulator allows a virtual model of any car – either supplied by the manufacturer or produced internally – to be quickly programmed into the system, while joint design and development work can also be carried out on the manufacturer’s own driving simulator. This means that tire development lead times remain perfectly in step with those of the cars that they are destined for, with more new models coming out more frequently these days. Furthermore, the use of the new driving simulator to maximize the virtual development phase means that the number of actual physical prototypes made is reduced, underpinning Pirelli’s sustainability approach.
Featuring a wrap-round 210-degrees panoramic screen, 7.5 meters in diameter, the simulation technology can visually reproduce a wide-range of different driving conditions, roads and circuits. At the heart of the systems is a static car equipped with various active technologies to exactly reproduce the sensations that any driver would feel in a real car. Equipped with a driver’s seat, steering wheel, seat belts, and different shaker systems, the simulator can precisely replicate the movements of the suspension and the engine.
With all virtual development processes already developed by Pirelli and thanks to the cutting-edge driving simulation technology, there is now a 30% reduction in average development time for new tires, thanks to faster assessment of virtual prototypes produced for different car models.
“We are delighted to report the adoption of our STATIC driving simulator at Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli,” said Alessio Lombardi, Sales Director, South Europe and UK, VI-grade. “This confirms the ongoing trend that sees international Tier1 suppliers implement our driving simulator solutions, with the aim of better collaborating with automotive OEMs”.
About the STATIC Simulator
The STATIC Simulator by VI-grade is VI-grade’s professional solution for immersive and realistic driving experience. The STATIC Simulator is based on the same VI-DriveSim software package used on Compact Simulators and DiM Dynamic Simulators from VI-grade. It is also fully compatible with third-party software solutions. This enables customers to leverage previous investments and use the same toolchain both on the static simulator and on a dynamic one. HMI, Ride&Handling, NVH and ADAS are some of the disciplines that can be investigated using a static simulator by VI-grade. Complementary technologies such as VI-BioTelemetry, VI-ActiveSeat and VI-ActiveBelts, are also compatible with the STATIC simulator. Thanks to the real-time hardware infrastructure, the Static Simulator is also suitable for software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop applications.
German version available here