VI-grade, the provider of human-centric simulation-driven vehicle development technologies, has posted highlights from its 2024 Zero Prototypes Summit (ZPS), which the company says are record breaking. Held from 14-16 May at VI-grade’s SimCenter in Udine, Italy, the summit achieved record attendance, with 300 in-person participants and over 900 virtual attendees via LinkedIn and SAE’s live-streamed webinar platform, marking the largest gathering to date for the event.
The theme of the event was ‘Join us on the Road to Zero Prototypes’, with speakers discussing the transition towards a prototype-free vehicle development process and virtual sign-off. Achieving a vehicle development programme without making costly physical prototypes remains the ultimate development goal for simulation developers, and at the event VI-grade customers demonstrated the significant progress they have already made towards this goal.
2024 ZPS speakers and highlights
The 2024 ZPS featured 25 keynote and technical presentations, along with three podium discussions led by simulation thought leaders from the global automotive industry. These industry experts demonstrated how they leverage VI-grade’s simulation software, driving simulators, and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies to accelerate new vehicle development, bringing them ever closer to realising the vision of Zero Prototypes.
Day 1 of the summit featured presentations from companies such as Applus+ IDIADA, Automobili Lamborghini, Bugatti Rimac, EDAG Group, HBK, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Benz, and Politecnico di Milano. A panel discussion on the future of customer experience in automotive technology included experts from Applus+ IDIADA, Automobili Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche AG, and the Virtual Vehicle Research Institute.
On Day 2, presentations were given by companies including Bentley, Giti Tire, Goodyear, Hitachi Astemo, Honda R&D Europe, Horiba MIRA, Meccanica 42, MegaRide, and Multimatic. Discussion panels focused on building synergies between automotive OEMs and suppliers, featuring experts from Bosch, Ferrari, Goodyear, Horiba MIRA, and HTW Berlin. Additional panel discussions highlighted advancements in ADAS via driving simulator calibration, with speakers from companies including Automobili Lamborghini, Ford Werke, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and VI-grade.
You can watch an official video recap of the event HERE.
Summit proceedings and video content from the event will be shared on VI-grade’s Website and YouTube channel as they become available.
According to a post-event survey, 96% of attendees plan to return to the Zero Prototypes Summit next year, a sentiment echoed by the positive feedback received:
“Although I had no doubts it would be just as great as the 2023 edition, your team delivered yet another truly fascinating event that ran like clockwork. I was overwhelmed by the time I got back with all the exciting conversations over the course of the week.” – Charlie Smith, virtual vehicle team (EG/PV), Bentley Motors
“A very successful event with a well-chosen group of attendees, exciting presentations, and plenty of time for intensive technical discussions. The experience of the most relevant and latest technologies around the simulator is unique.”- Jonas Grötzinger, senior expert in vehicle motion & performance vehicles at EDAG Group.
Launch of the driver-in-motion Full Spectrum Simulator
A highlight of the Summit was the launch of VI-grade’s DiM Full Spectrum Simulator (DiM FSS). The VI-grade team demonstrated how the simulator can deliver full vehicle motion, vibration, and sound in a single immersive experience.
Building on the success of the 2023 Compact Full Spectrum Simulator, the DiM FSS is the first real-time, driver-in-the-loop simulator to provide accurate sensory integration across the complete spectrum from 0 to 20kHz. Employing a three-stage system to deliver precise vehicle dynamics, it also includes a state-of-the-art “Hyperdock” cockpit equipped with vibration transducers at key driver touchpoints.
According to VI-grade, the Hyperdock’s design reduces inertia by 70%, lowers the centre of mass by 200mm, and increases structural stiffness by a factor of 10. These enhancements result in enhanced realism and immersion, allowing engineers and developers to evaluate virtual prototypes in a manner that closely mirrors real-world driving conditions. The DiM FSS will benefit a wide range of applications, from vehicle dynamics and motorsports, to ride comfort, ADAS, and autonomous vehicle testing.
Event metrics and sponsorship
“The 2024 Zero Prototypes Summit was an extraordinary success, revealing impressive metrics. We had over 1,200 connected attendees, including 300 in-person attendees from 117 automotive companies. We delivered 556 interactive demo sessions over two days, showcasing our vision of Zero Prototypes through our simulation software, driving simulators, and hardware-in-the-loop technologies. We heard from 25 high-level keynote and technical presentations on how our customers are using our tools to achieve virtual sign-off and reduce reliance on physical prototypes. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of our 26 sponsoring partners,” commented Guido Bairati, managing director at VI-grade.
The following industry partners supported and sponsored the 2024 Zero Prototypes Summit:
Diamond: EDAG Group
Platinum: Applus+ IDIADA, HORIBA MIRA, Meccanica 42, MegaRide, SAGInoMIYA
Gold: Barco, Concurrent Real-Time, cosin scientific software, Dassault Systèmes, exemplar, HBK, MdynamiX, Moog, Multimatic Inc., Stackpole Engineering
Silver: 3D Mapping Solutions, Fraunhofer ITWM, project syntropy, Rohde & Schwarz, Smart Eye, STEP Lab
Bronze: BE CAE & Test, JEDAi, rFpro, Screenline
Media Partners: Vehicle Dynamics International, ATZ, SAE Media Group, Automotive Testing Technology International
