Last week, the driving simulator company VI-grade announced the DiM50, a new simulator designed to be upgraded over time to facilitate flexible configurations for automotive engineers. With an entry-level price point, the new system will lend itself well to research centers, motorsport teams, and universities looking to purchase a simulator that can be upgraded based on their evolving needs.
Simulators help bridge the gap between early simulation and physical testing for automotive engineers in a variety of fields. VI-grade’s range of driving simulators include everything from static desktop models to driver-in-the-loop dynamic simulators to help companies across the transportation industry accelerate innovation. However, these models require engineers to anticipate their needs by selecting their simulator’s capabilities upfront. With VI-grade’s new extension system, engineers can start with a full cockpit static simulator that can be upgraded as needed.
“Today’s DiM50 announcement offers our clients and the market an unprecedented opportunity to purchase a dynamic simulator with a superior degree of realism combined with a low price point. But what makes the DiM50 stand out is that it enables to preserve its investment by providing a potential upgrade path to DiM150 and DiM250,” said Guido Bairati, VP of Sales and Marketing at VI-grade. “We believe that DiM50 presents the ideal solution in terms of compromise between performance and investment which lends itself well to universities, research centers, suppliers and motorsport teams as well as automotive OEMs that already invested in bigger simulators.”
Flexibility in the DiM50
Compared to VI-grade’s STATIC simulator, the DiM50 has a higher degree of realism. It is an entry-level dynamic system for ride and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) simulation.
The DiM50 uses a 6-axis actuator system (hexapod), but the simulator’s flexibility allows it to be upgraded to meet the 9 degrees of freedom of the DiM150 and DiM250 simulators, VI-grade’s two other dynamic simulator models. The upgrade only requires the addition of a baseframe and three planar motion actuators.
“We are very excited to address an unmet market need with a new driving simulator that further expands our existing product line,” said Diego Minen, chief technology officer of VI-grade. “DiM50 leverages the same, proven hexapod technology already featured in our widely used DiM150 and DiM250 and lets users perform ride analysis, ADAS testing and vehicle dynamics simulation with greater and enhanced realism compared to a STATIC Simulator.”
The DiM50 integrates VI-grade’s software stack, a hard-real-time computing platform, and a customizable cockpit with active components such as seats and brakes. The simulator’s open environment supports third-party software and further advances the system’s flexibility.
Diverse Applications for the DiM50 Simulator
The DiM50 driving simulator can be readily applied across the transportation industry for use in private sector research, academic institutions, and motorsport development and driver training. The DiM simulators allow automotive engineers to evaluate both vehicle dynamics and ride using the same platform.