SMART PROTOTYPES SUMMIT 2026

Ice Breaker Event - Part 1

Badge collection - Infodesk - Cloakroom

Entrance of exhibition area

Beyond Zero: Welcome to the Smart era

Guido Bairati - HBK

VP Global Sales

Tanneke Reinders - HBK

Executive Vice President - In Simulation and Validation

Ice Breaker Event - Part 2

Deeper conversations - End of ice-breaker event

Coffee and dessert

Registration for SPS2026

Badge collection - Infodesk - Cloakroom

Entrance of exhibition area

Welcome Address

Ben Bryson - HBK

President

Enabling Full Virtual Vehicle/Tire Co‑Development: The Bridgestone-Volkswagen Approach

Alessandro Capobianco - Bridgestone EMEA

R&D Specialist Tire Models & Vehicle/DIL Simulation

Eric Walter - Volkswagen

Vehicle Dynamics CAE Engineer

The automotive industry is rapidly advancing toward comprehensive virtualization of development processes and a reduction of physical prototyping, including those for individual components. For over a decade, Volkswagen and Bridgestone have collaborated to establish an integrated virtual development framework enabling vehicle–tire co‑optimization. This long‑term partnership has resulted in a consolidated workflow now applied across all Bridgestone OE tire projects, with particular maturity for Volkswagen applications. The installation of the Driving Simulator at Bridgestone’s R&D Center near Rome has completed the virtual development ecosystem. The OE fitment development for the Golf GTI presented here exemplifies the effectiveness of this approach, achieving fully virtual tire optimization supported by robust vehicle modelling and Driver‑in‑the‑Loop subjective handling assessment.

Engineering the Future Hypercar: A Holistic Dual V-Cycle Approach to Vehicle Dynamics

Enrico Maria Talarico - Bugatti Rimac

Vehicle Dynamics Manager

Alessandro Pino - Bugatti Rimac

Vehicle Dynamics Controls Manager

The development of next-generation hypercars requires tight integration between passive vehicle dynamics (VD), defined by chassis hardware, and active vehicle control (VC) systems driven by software. This work presents a dual V-cycle methodology where VD and VC are developed in parallel and validated through Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulations using VI-grade environments.
A split-model architecture balances simulation accuracy and computational efficiency: VD uses VI-CarRealTime models to define vehicle performance, while VC is developed in a Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) environment to calibrate control functions.
Final validation combines Model-in-the-Loop (MIL) and DiL testing with objective maneuvers and professional driver evaluations. The approach reduces reliance on physical prototypes, accelerates development, and ensures strong alignment between mechanical design and control systems.

Virtual Tyre Evaluation

Leo May - Nissan Motor Corporation

Lead Simulation Engineer

Stratos Stratoudakis - HORIBA MIRA

Consultant

In the automotive industry, vehicle development times and engineering costs need to become quicker and cheaper to remain competitive. This drives Nissan’s direction to increase virtual vehicle development capabilities. Working together with HORIBA MIRA, expert Ride and Handling assessors performed subjective evaluations using an CarSim  and AdamsCarRT model integrated with CDTire and MFTire on two simulator platforms: HORIBA MIRA’s DiM250 and Nissan’s in‑house Simple Driving Simulator. Physical back-to-back assessments were also carried out to validate the results. The presentation will outline how these assessment methods can be used to virtually tune tyres and demonstrate our ability to reduce tyre development times by up to 25% and development costs by up to 30%. 

LED Display - The End of the Projection Era?

Christoph Bode - project:syntropy

Owner & Technical Director

Apollo Tyre’s Virtual Environment: A Connection with VI-CarRealTime

Paulo Drummond - Apollo Tyres

Vehicle Dynamics Specialist

In the initial development phase, the tyre specifications are simulated using FEA and internal models, having their own basic characteristics evaluated such as dimensions, footprint, static stiffness, rolling resistance, etc. In a second stage, forces and moments are also assessed, followed by tyre modelling, but still in isolation from the vehicle. Through a connection with VI-CarRealTime, now integrated as part of the automated virtual workflow, vehicle dynamics simulations are democratized for all tyre engineers. By selecting a vehicle model from the library and defining the manoeuvre, the engineers receive an automatically post-processed report with objective KPIs to compare the proposed specs, already streamlining the best ones for optimized driving simulator sessions.

Vehicle Dynamics Performance Enhancement on Driving Simulator Through Shock Absorber HiL Bench

Andrea Spicuglia - Stellantis

Vehicle Dynamics - Global Simulator Process Development And Execution Responsible - South Europe Simulators Lead

The activity described concerns the integration and validation of a dynamic driving simulator with a Hardware in the Loop (HiL) test bench dedicated to shock absorbers, with the goal of optimizing the vehicle’s dynamic performance in terms of handling and comfort. The work involves real time synchronization between the vehicle model, the virtual environment, and the physical actuation of the shock absorbers, ensuring consistency between the simulated response and the actual behavior of the components.
The integrated infrastructure enables the evaluation of complex maneuvering scenarios and road irregularities, reducing track testing time and costs.
The validation phase focuses on the quantitative comparison between HiL measurements, simulation results, and on road tests, refining parameters and models to improve accuracy and repeatability through a data driven approach combined with subjective feedback.
 

Global NVH Validation: Masking Noise Scaling Across Different Regions

Alessio Figuretti - Tesla

Staff NVH Engineer

One of the primary goals of Tesla’s NVH team is to deliver optimal NVH performance across all vehicle models. A key challenge arises since the same model is produced globally and validated on test tracks in different regions, where road surface characteristics vary significantly. These differences could affect road noise, which acts as masking noise and can change the perception of other NVH issues such as powertrain noise, leading to inconsistent evaluations. To address this, an extensive usage of the NVH simulator helped to evaluate a range of common test track surfaces and to perform global subjective driving. Based on that a frequency- and level-dependent scaling methodology to predict masking noise on different region surfaces is presented. This allows for more accurate prediction of NVH perception across regions without requiring physical testing on every surface.

Lunch break

Lunch buffet - Coffee - Dessert

Exhibition area

Rethinking Virtual Tire Data Management

Gerald Hofmann - cosin scientific software

Managing Director

Virtual development has transformed how vehicles are designed. Today, critical decisions are made long before a physical prototype exists, with simulation playing a central role in engineering workflows. Yet the way digital tire models are managed often still follows outdated processes – fragmented storage, unclear versions, and inefficient collaboration. cosin is presenting cosin/hub, a new approach to organizing and managing virtual tire data. By combining high-fidelity real-time tire simulation with a modern data platform, development teams gain structured access, transparent versioning, integrated quality control, and scalable computing resources. The result is a streamlined infrastructure that removes friction from simulation workflows and enables engineers to fully leverage virtual prototyping.

Engineering Initiatives and Application Case Studies of Driving Simulator Technologies in the Mazda–S&VL Collaboration

Shuichi Kondo - Mazda Motor Corporation

Principal Engineer

Hideyuki Muramatsu - S&VL (Progress Technologies Group)

CEO Representative Director

Mazda and S&VL have entered into a collaboration agreement to promote the use of driving simulators in next-generation vehicle development and ergonomics research. In this presentation, we introduce case studies in which the DiM300 driving simulator was applied to the development of a new vehicle platform, as well as to the development of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

Virtualization-Driven Design and Testing: The Creation of Ferrari’s Vortex Track

Luigi Fiore - Ferrari

Manager of the Simulations Area in Systems and Simulations, Vehicle Dynamics

The development of Ferrari’s new Vortex track marks a significant milestone in the functional testing of vehicles produced in Maranello. Spanning approximately two kilometers and covering 37,000 square meters, this advanced facility was designed through an innovative virtualization process. Using simulation tools, the track layout was first created and tested in a virtual environment, allowing Ferrari drivers to evaluate the circuit and provide feedback before construction, ensuring optimal design for development and validation activities.
The Vortex track meets the highest safety and precision standards, featuring dedicated sectors for specific performance evaluations: two wide banked curves with longitudinal gradients, a central straight, and handling corners for dynamic analysis. Special pavements developed with Ferrari’s expertise enable detailed assessments of comfort and performance.
Ferrari e-Vortex will gradually shift testing from public roads to the track, enabling more objective evaluations, faster anomaly detection, and reduced impact on local traffic while supporting more efficient vehicle development.

Governed by Physics, Driven by Data: Orchestrating the Smart Prototype Lifecycle with AI Agents

Michael Hoffmann - JuliaHub

Head of Business Development, Europe

How do you build a "smart" prototype when data is scarce and failure is not an option? Standard AI often fails because it ignores the laws of nature. This 5-minute session introduces Scientific Machine Learning (SciML) – a hybrid approach that embeds first-principle physics directly into neural networks.
We will rapidly cover how to Reduce Data Dependency (use physics to "fill the gaps," allowing for high-fidelity models with fewer sensors): Ensure Physical Integrity (guarantee that conservation of energy and mass are respected by design, not by chance); Automate with AI Agents (leverage autonomous agents to bridge the gap between physical measurements and digital twins). Discover how to transform your testing from a data-collection exercise into a self-evolving, physically intelligent system.

Advancing Holistic Virtual Vehicle Development Capabilities with the Hyperdock

Kielan Doo - Multimatic

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer

John Burford - Multimatic

Simulation Center Engineer

As experts in vehicle development, Multimatic employs the DiM250 at every stage of a vehicle program for high-fidelity human-in-the-loop feedback on ride and handling. In this presentation we will highlight how our vehicle dynamics models are improved by the addition of NVHSim models, and the subjective impact of adding NVH content to virtual ride and handling assessment.

An Integrated Digital Twin and Co-Simulation Platform for Advanced Driver-in-the-Loop Research

Pasquale Licci - University of Salento

Automotive Systems & Simulation Researcher

Salvatore Lomartire - Nardò Technical Center Porsche Engineering

ADAS & Simulation Engineer

The collaboration between the University of Salento and the Nardò Technical Center has led to the establishment of an advanced simulation laboratory, fully integrated with the digitalization of the proving ground tracks. This project presents an advanced co-simulation framework based on the Digital Twin of the Ecotekne campus, capable of orchestrating nearly one thousand actors interacting with an ego vehicle, while enabling dynamic management of the simulation scenario. The transition from 3D environments to 2D simulation software is fully automated through in-house developed tools. This infrastructure enables Driver-in-the-Loop studies and real-time monitoring of the driver’s biometric parameters via a custom-made sensorized garment developed by the university. This wearable device measures temperature, blood oxygenation, heart rate, and body dynamics using IMUs and deformation sensors. The integration of driving simulation, urban traffic, Digital Twins, and biometrics (fully orchestrated within the VI-grade framework) defines a novel research approach within the scientific landscape.

Integration of Real Steering and Braking Systems into VI-grade Driving Simulators of Mercedes-AMG by Using Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbenches from MdynamiX

Sven Hänle - Mercedes-AMG

Engineer

Anton Tworek - MdynamiX

Development Engineer

This article describes the integration of real steering and braking systems into VI-grade driving simulators of Mercedes-AMG using Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) approaches. By combining MXsteerHil and MXbrakeHiL, an enhanced and highly realistic driving experience is achieved throughout the entire development process. The systems are incorporated into the simulator cockpit via an IODB-based interface, which links the feedback units for steering and braking to the test rig. This enables the reproduction of a precise and authentic steering feel, directly based on the ECU functions of the real steering system. Additionally, the MXbrakeHiL extends the virtual development environment to include realistic pedal and brake pressure behaviour. The increased immersion improves the quality of subjective assessments, accelerates development processes and enables a higher maturity level of chassis and function tuning. This empowers Mercedes AMG to improve systems before physical vehicle become available but also as a cost efficient alternative during prototype testing.

Coffee break

Italian coffee - Snacks - Beverages

Exhibition area

Driver-in-the-Loop to Enhance Whole Vehicle Simulation Accuracy

Andrea Flamini - Automobili Lamborghini

Head of Virtual Car Development

Francesco Russo - Automobili Lamborghini

Whole Vehicle Performance Simulation Engineer

For a company where ultimate performance, such as lap time, is a core pillar of brand identity, achieving high accuracy simulation results is essential.
To meet this requirement, Lamborghini has developed a methodology that integrates Driver in the Loop (DiL) activities into the virtual development process.
DiL sessions are performed on top of offline simulations, generated with the in house “Whole Vehicle Model”, to validate and refine the virtual driver’s trajectory, thereby increasing the accuracy of simulation outputs.
This combined approach significantly enhances the reliability of Whole Vehicle Simulation results and strengthens its role as a key decision making tool throughout the entire vehicle development cycle.

Multi-Scale Wet Tire Dynamics: Modelling and Validation in a VI-grade Simulator

Marco Sbrosi - Pirelli Tyre

Tyre Modelling & Driving Simulator

Matteo Romano - MegaRide

PhD Candidate, University of Naples “Federico II”

This work, part of an ongoing PhD program jointly developed by Pirelli and the University of Naples Federico II with its spinoff MegaRide, presents recent progress in the physical modeling of tire-road interaction under wet conditions. The work presents a Multi-scale physical model capable of describing the dynamics of the rolling tire on a water film and the resulting mechanisms of tire force generation under different water depths, vehicle speeds, and tread pattern configurations. Thermal effects are also taken into account through a previously developed physical model, providing insight into how temperature evolution and heat transfer in wet conditions affect cornering stiffness, grip and global handling response. These advancements are being integrated into Pirelli's VI-grade driving simulator and validated through dedicated experimental campaigns, including controlled aquaplaning maneuvers. The results confirm the model’s ability to accurately reproduce real tire behavior under critical wet-surface conditions, paving the way for more accurate prediction tools for wet performance and safety.

Driving Dynamics Evaluation of Body Structural Stiffnesses Using Adams Real Time on a Driving Simulator

Andreas Apel - Volkswagen AG

Head of Virtual Design & Validation – Chassis Systems Development

Dennis Schütte - Volkswagen AG

Virtual Design & Validation – Chassis Systems Development

This work presents an experimental study on the subjective evaluation of vehicle dynamics design variants using a high-fidelity simulator (DiM400). The study examines how coupling an advanced motion platform with a complex real-time multibody dynamics (MBD) model allows trained drivers to perceive and differentiate subtle variations in steering response, handling, and overall dynamic behavior. The specific focus related to automotive engineering aspects of this investigation is the subjective evaluation of body and subframe stiffness which is to be designed in new vehicle projects.
The Adams Real Time (AdamsRT) model was constructed as a detailed virtual prototype comprising multiple flexible components, including the front subframe, chassis, and rear twist beam, together with parameterized representations of the suspension and steering systems. This configuration enabled systematic exploration of design alternatives while maintaining high physical fidelity and repeatability.
Real-time execution of the model was achieved using an AutoHawk 24 Extreme hard-real-time computing system. To meet computational constraints, model reduction was performed by limiting the number of active modes in flexible components, ensuring real-time performance without significant loss of correlation with offline, high-fidelity simulations. During a two-day test campaign, 42 model configurations were evaluated on the DiM400 simulator. These configurations incorporated systematic variations in flexible-body modeling and tuning parameters. The results demonstrate that the AdamsRT–VI-DriveSim integration enables repeatable, real-time driver-in-the-loop (DIL) assessment of complex vehicle dynamics, supporting both objective and subjective evaluations.
The study highlights the potential of real-time flexible multibody simulation for early-stage vehicle dynamics development, providing an effective link between high-fidelity virtual modeling and human-in-the-loop validation processes in the automotive design workflow.

AI Agents for Smart Testing: Closing the Loop Between Simulation, Driver-in-the-Loop, and Reality

Bruno Finco - MOVEdot

Co-Founder & CTO

Vehicle development is a constant loop: from sim sweeps to driver-in-the-loop sessions to physical telemetry. Most of an engineer's day is spent trying to connect these different domains by hand. The AI Layer changes that. AI agents run simulations on VI-CarRealTime, configure and evaluate setups in VI-DriveSim, ingest HBK measurements, correlate sim with DiL with reality, and surface KPI trade-offs and sensitivities. We walk through a real handling and ride development case end-to-end.

From Silicon to Simulation: Enabling the End-to-End Software-Defined Vehicle Workflow

Sebastien Allibert - Synopsys

Technology Partnerships Director

Guido Bairati - HBK

VP Global Sales

The transition to the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is fundamentally reshaping how vehicles are designed, developed, and validated. As software complexity grows alongside centralized compute architectures and AI-driven functions, traditional hardware-centric development approaches – reliant on late-stage integration and physical prototypes – are increasingly unable to keep pace.
In this joint presentation, VI-grade and Synopsys present a shared vision for an end-to-end SDV development and validation workflow built around a continuous virtual environment. By combining Synopsys’ pre-silicon virtual prototyping and software development capabilities with VI-grade’s high-fidelity vehicle simulation and driver-in-the-loop testing, the partnership enables a continuous digital validation pipeline spanning silicon, software, system integration, and vehicle-level performance.
This integrated virtual approach allows automakers to develop, integrate, and validate complex vehicle systems earlier in the lifecycle, significantly accelerating validation cycles, reducing dependence on physical prototypes, and supporting a shift toward continuous verification of SDV architectures – ultimately saving months of development time while improving system quality and robustness.

Damper Virtual Tuning Using AI-MBD and FSS

Murilo Junqueira - Astemo

Manager, Chassis Development / Dynamics

Markus Steeb - Astemo

Department Head, Chassis Development / Testing

At the 2024 ZPS, we introduced the Ai-MBD, an analytic damper model based on neural network for better representation of dampers on full vehicle simulations and DiL simulators. This presentation will now show the usage of this tool for doing damper tuning on a virtual environment using the VI-grade COMPACT FSS Simulator.

Vehicle Dynamics and NVH: Joint EDAG - Michelin SIMIX Methodologies for Smart Vehicle Simulation

Frédéric Spetler - Michelin

Head of SIMIX Engineering

Tobias Krebs - EDAG Group

Attribute Group Leader

This presentation showcases a joint EDAG - Michelin SIMIX workflow enabling fully integrated virtual vehicle development. SIMIX provides real world correlated tire and chassis datasets in industry standard formats, allowing rapid, high fidelity vehicle dynamics simulation without weeks of manual model crafting. EDAG complements this with advanced NVH modeling derived from physical vehicle measurements (benchmark), creating accurate structural acoustic representations for early refinement. Combined within a driver in the loop simulator, both methodologies converge into a unified environment where handling, ride, comfort & NVH performance can be evaluated simultaneously, accelerating decision making and reducing prototype dependence.

Wrap Up Day 1

Gabriele Ferrarotti - VI-grade | HBK

Head of Marketing - Simulation

Registration for SPS2026

Badge collection - Infodesk - Cloakroom

Entrance of exhibition area

2025 Simulation Ramp-Up for Project Validation

Rémi Auman - Alpine

Expert Leader in Simulation for Ride and Handling

Renaud Hantz - Alpine

Customer Performance Director

Over the course of 2025, our team has carried out a major ramp‑up in virtual vehicle development capabilities, with a strong focus on simulation‑driven methodologies. Significant progress has been achieved across multiple domains, including tire modelling, chassis control development, and high‑fidelity vehicle dynamics modelling. In parallel, the extensive use of driving simulators has enabled rapid consolidation of methods and accelerated validation through Driver‑in‑the‑Loop assessments. Beyond technical advances, a key outcome of this ramp‑up year has been the creation and swift operational deployment of a dedicated digital subsidiary, designed to deliver simulation tools, models, and expertise within very short lead times. This organization now acts as a central enabler for vehicle development projects, supporting fast, robust, and fully virtual decision‑making from early concept phases to final tuning.

Customer-Oriented Virtual Tire Wear Assessment Using Multi-Physical Simulations

Silvio Data - Stellantis

Vehicle Dynamics Senior Fellow

Flavio Farroni - MegaRide

Co-Founder & CEO

Increasing demands on vehicle performance, including efficiency, braking, and NVH, are making tire-related trade-offs progressively more complex and critical for customer satisfaction. In this context, anticipating and strengthening tire wear predictions early in the development process is becoming essential.
This work presents a joint project by Stellantis, MegaRide and the University of Naples Federico II, aimed at transitioning tire wear assessment from physical testing to a digital simulation-driven approach. Using MegaRide’s physical tire wear model weaRIDE within the VI-CarRealTime environment, more than 50,000 km of driving were virtually reproduced within a Stellantis vehicle with multiple tire configurations, enabling extensive wear analyses before physical test objects are available.
The results show a reliable prediction of relative tire wear trends, allowing early and intensified verification activities while significantly reducing validation time and costs. The proposed methodology supports customer-oriented development by enabling informed tire and vehicle trade-offs and is naturally extendable to sustainability and regulatory assessments, including the Euro 7 framework and current guidelines.

Development of Multi-Attribute Simulator for Integrated Vehicle Dynamics and (Extended) Comfort Evaluation of an Electric Vehicle

Javier Gutiérrez Diez - Applus+ IDIADA

Product Manager, Virtual Vehicle Dynamics and Driving Simulator

This paper presents an integrated virtual methodology for assessing electric vehicle dynamics and comfort characteristics up to 100 Hz during development. Electric vehicles face unique challenges: absent powertrain noise exposes secondary vibration paths, while battery packaging and torque delivery require new design solutions, making Vehicle Dynamics and NVH coupling critical. The methodology employs correlated Multi-Body and Finite Element models implemented in a multi-attribute driving simulator featuring high-fidelity motion systems and vibration reproduction across the complete frequency spectrum. This integrated framework enables simultaneous assessment of dynamics and NVH attributes, facilitating early-stage optimization of conflicting handling and comfort requirements. A collaboration with a Hyundai vehicle case study demonstrates the approach's implementation and validation.

Simulation‑Driven Calibration of Vehicle Control Systems for High‑Performance Vehicle

Pietro Caresia - Brembo

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer

Gianluca Vaini - Brembo

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer

This work presents a virtual calibration workflow applied to the Sensify vehicle control suite – Brembo’s distributed braking system – developed for a high-performance vehicle application. 
The activity starts from the OEM-provided vehicle and tyre models, which were integrated with Brembo’s state-of-the-art Sensify virtual environment.
A MIL environment was employed to calibrate EBD, ABS, and state estimators through extensive offline simulations, while DIL testing setup was used for ESC calibration, combining both objective metrics and subjective driver evaluations.
The proposed methodology accelerates development cycles by ensuring consistency across real and virtual environments and by aligning quantitative KPIs with driver feedback prior to track testing.
Furthermore, the robustness of the calibration was assessed by evaluating multiple tyre specson the same vehicle configuration within the presented virtual workflow.

Continuous Vehicle Evaluation, Bridging the Gap Between High-Fidelity Offline and Real-Time Multibody Simulation

Bruno Passone - Dassault Systèmes

EuroMED SIMULIA Multibody & Tires Technical Manager

Modern automotive development often suffers from a disconnect between high-fidelity offline multibody systems (MBS) analysis and real-time testing, frequently requiring vehicle model simplification or code generation that introduces physical inconsistencies. A unified methodology is presented using Simpack MBS Simulation Tool (part of Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA portfolio) to maintain a single-model database throughout the entire V-cycle, covering vehicle dynamics, NVH and durability. By utilizing a high-fidelity solver capable of direct real-time execution, the approach eliminates the need for model reduction in Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) and Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) environments, including the VI-grade ecosystem. This workflow enables seamless cross-disciplinary validation and live parameter tuning without physical prototypes or manual recompilation. Ultimately, this "single-source-of-truth" approach reduces validation effort, ensures consistency across all development stages and enables precise evaluation of complex vehicle behavior from concept design to full vehicle testing. 

Camera-in-the-Loop in ADAS Simulation: Integration, Validation, and Use Cases

Cristina Petrucci - Automobili Lamborghini

ADAS Technical Project Leader

Claudio Annicchiarico - Meccanica 42

CEO

This work presents an ADAS simulator with an integrated Camera‑in‑the‑Loop setup for super sports cars, embedding a real camera sensor within a virtual environment.
The approach enables realistic validation of perception algorithms across representative real-world use cases, reducing the gap between simulation and on-road testing.

100% Virtual Development of a Vehicle Motion Controller Using VI-grade Driving Simulators

Tim Wright - Porsche Engineering

Development Engineer

This paper presents the development strategy for Porsche Engineering’s Motion Domain Controller (MDC), a centralized chassis and drivetrain controller. The MDC is developed using a 100% digital process, running in a Model-in-the-Loop (MiL) setup within digital prototypes at development centers in Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Shanghai. The process relies on an extensive simulator program alongside traditional offline simulation techniques. This paper provides an overview of the tools and methods used to develop MDC functions, demonstrating how a fully digital workflow enhances efficiency, accelerates innovation, and refines vehicle dynamics control strategies.

Redefining Realism & Efficiency: Volvo Cars’ Driving Simulator Journey Using Adams

Fredrik Sjögren - Cadence

Sr Principal Application Engineer

Max Boerboom - Volvo Cars

Vehicle Dynamics Engineer

Volvo Cars and Cadence present significant advances in Volvo's DiM150 driving‑simulator realism and efficiency using flexible Adams vehicle models in real-time. The session highlights practical experience with integrated control systems, and methods for optimizing both performance and accuracy of flexible body vehicle models.
The speakers will describe how Volvo Cars brings high‑fidelity vehicle behavior into the driving simulator with minimal setup time, enabling faster iterations and confident design decisions.

Virtual Formula China 2026 Winner Announcement

Elaine Zhou - HBK

China Commercial General Manager

Lunch break

Lunch buffet - Coffee - Dessert

Exhibition area

From Emotion to Innovation: Crafting Next-Level Vehicle Motion Control with EDAG Zero Prototype Lab

Jonas Groetzinger - EDAG Group

Senior Expert Vehicle Motion & Performance Vehicles

This project presents the development of a Vehicle Motion Controller (VMC) aimed at elevating vehicle performance and driving experience. Using the EDAG Zero Prototype Lab (ZPL), the development integrates simulation, rapid prototyping, and a representative test vehicle to enable efficient and realistic controller design. Detailed actuator representation and high fidelity damper model ensure accurate system behavior.
The resulting VMC features vehicle control and multi actuator usage strategies that ensure robust, fail operational behavior and performance optimized operation. System performance is evaluated through objective simulations and Driver in the Loop assessments, demonstrating the effectiveness of Zero Prototype Lab for next generation vehicle dynamics development.

Enabling the Development of Smart Prototypes by Utilising HORIBA MIRA’s Virtual Durability Process

Craig Cochrane - HORIBA MIRA

Integrated Durability Engineering Consultant

This presentation highlights how HORIBA MIRA supported the development of a durable vehicle programme for a start-up OEM, leveraging its expertise as chassis system partner to deliver a solution aligned with the client’s design and vehicle attribute targets. The presentation focuses on the durability attribute and explains how HORIBA MIRA integrated its CARDUR durability processes into the overall development strategy, enabling both virtual and physical durability testing and validation activities to be carried out efficiently in collaboration with the client’s engineering partners and suppliers.
The presentation retraces the key stages of the virtual prototype development process and demonstrates how the combined use of real and virtual RLD contributed to significant time and cost savings that would not have been achievable through physical testing and measurement alone.

Probabilistic Fatigue for Reliability Simulations. Case Study of Automotive Components

Marco Bonato - Valeo

Power Division Reliability Manager

Structural simulation is increasingly used in the automotive industry to validate component designs without extensive physical prototyping. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) identifies stress concentrations and predicts fatigue damage, enabling durability estimation.
To address the limits of deterministic models, stochastic fatigue simulations incorporate variability in fatigue behavior. This study applies these methods to automotive components under mechanical reliability tests, using Monte Carlo simulations with Latin hypercube sampling and correlating results with physical failure tests through Weibull analysis.
Two case studies, a supporting bracket and a heat exchanger, demonstrate how probabilistic FEA results can be linked to real reliability tests, supporting faster validation and reducing reliance on physical testing.

Engineering the Future of Real-Time Systems

Ramesh Praveenkumar - Concurrent Real-Time Inc.

Product Development Manager

Enhancing Driver Acceptance of Adaptive Cruise Control in Dynamic Simulators

Luca Bracaccia - Toyota Motor Europe

Vehicle Performance Engineer

Francesco Comolli - Politecnico di Milano

Head of Unit Driving Simulator DriSMi

The study examines how tuning tilt coordination affects user acceptance of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) in the DIM400 dynamic driving simulator of Politecnico di Milano. Using a within-subject design, tilt gain settings were tested during acceleration and braking tasks. Results combine objective performance metrics with subjective ratings of realism, comfort, and trust. Results show that higher tilt gains improve the physical fidelity of simulated motion but can introduce perceptual conflicts when exceeding human sensitivity thresholds, leading to discomfort and reduced acceptance. Conversely, the absence of tilt limits the perception of sustained acceleration. A moderate tilt gain provides the best balance, ensuring realistic and comfortable motion cues. Overall, the results demonstrate that perceptual coherence plays a more critical role than physical accuracy alone, providing useful guidance for improving the reliability of simulator-based ACC evaluations.

Merging the Physical and Virtual Worlds Through Digital Twins. Application to Mechanical Equipment to Optimize Design, Monitoring, and Maintenance

Mohamed Bennebach - CETIM

Project Manager

A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system or process, combining a digital model with its real counterpart. It can represent geometric, multiphysical, functional, or behavioral aspects and is used to optimize control, safety, and production. For mechanical equipment, digital twins enable monitoring, performance evaluation, and data-driven design improvements.
This work presents the state of the art of digital twins in industry and a use case for fatigue evaluation and predictive maintenance of a pressure vessel. Such equipment faces harsh operating conditions, strict regulations, and safety risks, making traditional maintenance challenging. Real-time monitoring with digital twins can reduce downtime and maintenance costs, though implementation requires careful consideration of loads, materials, geometry, and environment.
The methodology, applicable to other mechanical components, involves: designing the physical twin with optimized sensors, conducting fatigue tests under representative loads, and building the digital twin by hybridizing physical and data models.

Durability Assessment Comparison Using Frequency Domain (PSD) and Modal Time Histories Approach

Alberto Signorini - Stellantis

Enlarged Europe – Durability, Strength & Misuse – Body, Closures, Exteriors Structural Validation Manager

The transition to EV platforms adds significant battery mass, lowering body resonance frequencies and making dynamic analysis essential. Vehicle electronics like the BMS are analyzed in the frequency domain using PSD loading.
Load histories come from measurements or numerical twins, which simulate forces and accelerations through the vehicle and components, enabling faster development and “what-if” scenarios. Traditionally, car bodies were simulated in the time domain using modal approaches, but frequency-domain PSD methods can dramatically reduce analysis time. This work validates PSD loading by comparing fatigue life results for metal sheets and spot welds across two FEA solvers.

High-Speed, Safety-Critical Autonomous Driving: How Accurate Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Enable Autonomous Highway Edge Cases Management

Rodrigo Senofieni - Aidoptation

Engineering Leader

Deploying an autonomous vehicle on public highways is not just a software problem. It is a vehicle dynamics problem. Aidoptation develops autonomous driving software with a single focus: highway edge case management. The scenarios where a vehicle must autonomously execute emergency obstacle avoidance at the physical limits of handling, on any road surface, at any speed where those situations actually occur.
That focus makes high-fidelity simulation a non-negotiable foundation, not a convenience. You cannot build and validate limit-handling behaviour on a real road. The scenarios are too rare, too dangerous, and too difficult to reproduce with the consistency that systematic software development requires. Using VI-Grade's vehicle dynamics environment as the core of our SIL and HIL pipelines, we validate emergency evasion trajectories, grip-aware path planners, and combined dynamics controllers across a systematic matrix of highway scenarios, surface conditions, and obstacle configurations.
This talk outlines how we structure that pipeline, what fidelity requirements actually matter when operating at the handling limit, and why closing the loop between simulator and real vehicle is not just good engineering practice but the only credible path to public road authorization for a system that has to get it right the first time.

Simulation Driven Chassis Development with Michelin SIMIX

Frédéric Spetler - Michelin

Head of SIMIX Engineering

Frederic Leymin - Michelin

Marketing and Sales Director MICHELIN SIMIX Simulation

This presentation explores how simulation-driven development and smart prototype strategies are transforming modern chassis engineering. It introduces Michelin Simulation Services and the Michelin SIMIX platform, highlighting advanced tire and vehicle datasets, cloud-based simulation, and innovative wet-handling models to support faster, more efficient, and cost-effective vehicle development.

Coffee break

Italian coffee - Snacks - Beverages

Exhibition area

SAGINOMIYA Technical Lab – Facilities Introduction

Kensuke Tanaka - Saginomiya

Test Systems Sales Dept. Business Development

Powertrain Engagement and Refinement Balancing with McLaren's Full Spectrum Simulation

Marco Ballatore - McLaren

Vehicle Engineering

Strategic Smart Testing for NVH Development on the CNH Quadtrac Tractor

Marco Tarabra - CNH Industrial

Vehicle Performance and Core Systems Validation Manager

This presentation shows how physical testing and simulation can be strategically combined to support NVH development across the product lifecycle. Focusing on a project dedicated to the CNH Quadtrac tractor vehicle, it highlights how TPA and related test methods can identify key contributing paths, support countermeasure development, guide target setting, and provide evidence for design changes. The work demonstrates a practical Smart Testing approach in which physical data and simulator-based evaluation are used together to improve engineering decisions and accelerate development.

Applications of NVH Desktop Simulator in Vehicle Development Process

Simone Gottardi - Stellantis

NVH Test Engineer

Matteo De Simone - Stellantis

NVH Integration Specialist Engineer

In automotive development, NVH performance is typically evaluated when physical prototypes are already available, limiting design freedom and increasing late‑stage costs. This paper presents the use in Stellantis of VI‑grade Desktop NVH Simulator, enabling NVH assessment and target definition earlier in the vehicle development process.
The approach integrates NVH models into the DTS real‑time simulation environment, combining measured data, virtual vehicle models and immersive audio playback. This allows repeatable, back‑to‑back NVH evaluations under identical driving maneuvers, supporting both objective metrics and subjective assessments within a single simulator framework.
A multi‑level NVH modeling strategy is adopted within DTS. Low‑complexity models enable benchmarking and target sound definition, while higher‑fidelity Source–Path–Receiver models support root‑cause analysis, target cascading and what‑if studies. Road and wind noise are included to reproduce realistic masking effects during virtual driving.
Industrial use cases demonstrate how DTS‑based NVH simulation bridges the gap between abstract metrics and perceived sound quality, particularly for EV applications dominated by tonal phenomena, reducing dependence on late physical prototypes and accelerating NVH convergence

Quantifying the NVH Impact of Composite Materials in EV Structures: A Combined Physical Test and Sound Quality Demonstration Approach

Christopher Korson - BASF

Market Segment Manager

Kelby Weilnau - VI-grade

Software Product Manager - Sound & Vibration

Vehicle weight reduction is important to improve the fuel mileage of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and to extend the range of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Glass Fiber Reinforced (GFR) Composite (Polyamide) brackets provide significant weight reductions at a competitive part price. The key to integrating composite brackets into the vehicle design is to perform adequate analysis to ensure that the noise and vibration performance at the vehicle level meets expectations, while considering frequency, stiffness, and isolation implications. In this paper, case studies are presented for two different vehicles – a Clevis bracket for an IC Engine vehicle, and an electric motor mount bracket. For each case, measurement data is used to develop simulator models which were used for immersive comparison of incumbent and alternate parts.

PODIUM DISCUSSION: Smart Testing Through Data Intelligence – Connecting Virtual Simulation & Physical Validation to Build Better Products

PODIUM DISCUSSION ARGUMENT: Smart Testing Through Data Intelligence - .

Feat: Applus+ IDIADA, Porsche Engineering, Valeo, CETIM

This podium discussion explores how data intelligence is transforming product development, validation, and optimization across the full lifecycle.
Bringing together perspectives from virtual testing, physical testing, and data analytics, the session will show how simulation and real-world validation data can be connected within a coherent smart testing strategy. Panelists will discuss how consistent data models, traceability, and analytics support closed-loop workflows, helping teams improve models from test data, accelerate physical validation through simulation, and extract value from growing volumes of complex data.
The discussion presents smart testing not simply as a set of tools, but as an operating model that connects disciplines, shortens iteration cycles, improves confidence in decisions, and helps deliver better engineered products faster and with lower risk.

• Moderator:
  • Thomas Funder | LinkedIn
• Panelists:
  • Guido Tosolin | LinkedIn
  • Tille Karoline Rupp | LinkedIn
  • Marco Bonato | LinkedIn
  • Mohamed Bennebach | LinkedIn

Wrap Up of Summit

Guido Bairati - HBK

VP Global Sales