Automotive complex in renowned Canadian university utilizes driving simulation solution by VI-grade for Educational, R&D and industrial projects.
Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) and Darmstadt (Germany), April 21, 2021 – VI-grade today announced that McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) adopted the VI-grade STATIC Simulator, which has already been installed and commissioned at the university’s premises in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The new simulator is part of the MARCdrive lab and is applied for the development of automotive components and control systems, especially related to powertrain electrification as well as for the development of autonomous systems, human-machine interfaces and driver monitoring systems.
The STATIC simulator represents a significant extension for the university’s automotive research capacities, particularly for MARC, which is one of Canada’s leading research facilities in transportation electrification and smart mobility. The driver’s perception and inputs can now be incorporated when developing the new systems and human feedback can be considered early in the design cycle. Thus, the performance of a component can be tested well before building a first prototype, making the “drive-before-build” approach becoming a reality. This allows researchers at MARC to steadily move to a more virtual environment to test and enhance the performance of their automotive components and control systems that would usually require a physical prototype.
“Much of our design at MARC is done virtually, so being able to test our systems on board of a vehicle allows us insights about the system’s performance that we wouldn’t have unless we prototyped them,” said Dr. Ali Emadi, Professor and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate, McMaster University. “For this reason, the possibility to have a driver-in-the-loop in the VI-grade’s STATIC Simulator, allowing us to include the driver’s perception when testing our systems, as well as the ability of testing the performance of a component with other vehicle systems before prototyping it, is of great value for organization.”
“We are delighted to report the installation of our STATIC Simulator at McMaster University”, said Guido Bairati, VP of Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. “We are happy of having the chance to leverage our professional driving simulator solutions at the renowned McMaster Automotive Resource Center in Hamilton, Ontario, which is situated in a leading jurisdiction for auto production in North America. We are looking forward to witnessing and facilitating all applications of our STATIC Simulator as important tool for research and development activities for the industry and as precious device for educational purposes.”
About VI-grade’s STATIC Simulator
The STATIC Simulator by VI-grade is a professional solution that allows OEMs, Tier1 suppliers and Research Institutes to use driving simulator to start bridging the gap between physical testing and simulation. Our STATIC simulator is based on the same VI-DriveSim software package that is used on COMPACT Simulator and on DiM but is also fully compatible with 3rd party software solutions. This makes it possible to upgrade the static simulator to a dynamic simulator later on, leveraging previous investments.
About VI-grade
VI-grade is the leading provider of best-in-class software products and services for advanced applications in the field of system-level simulation. Along with a network of selected partners, VI-grade also provides revolutionary turnkey solutions for static and dynamic driving simulation.
Established in 2005, VI-grade delivers innovative solutions for streamlining the development process from concept to sign-off in the transportation industry, and there mainly in the automotive, aerospace, motorcycle, motorsports and railway sectors. With its office locations in Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, China, and the USA and a worldwide channel network of more than 20 trusted partners, VI-grade is a dynamic and growing company with a highly skilled technical team.
Since September 2018, VI-grade has been part of Spectris. Spectris is an FTSE 250 listed global conglomerate with 2017 sales of over $2B and 9,800 employees. The firm conducts business in four major segments – materials analysis, testing & measurement, in-line instrumentation and industrial controls – and serves a broad range of industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to electronics, energy, mining and pharmaceuticals.
For further information about VI-grade, please visit www.vi-grade.com.
McMaster Automotive Resource Centre adopts STATIC Driving Simulator from VI-grade
For more information on McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, please visit hybrid.mcmaster.ca
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