On January 5, Kumho Tire announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with Ansible Motion to develop next-generation digital tires.
The two companies have agreed to collaborate by utilizing advanced digital simulation technology to enhance the tire performance verification system and strengthen their competitiveness in the development of tires for electric vehicles (EVs) and high-performance vehicles.
Kumho Tire expects that by introducing driving simulators into its research and development process, it will be able to reduce the time and cost required for real vehicle testing and prototype production, enabling more precise and efficient performance verification from the early stages of development.
Kim Youngjin, Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development at Kumho Tire, states:
This will serve as an opportunity to advance our research and development paradigm to be more digitally focused. By actively utilizing advanced simulation technology, we will introduce high-performance, high-value-added products optimized for the future mobility environment and continuously strengthen our competitiveness in the global market.
The Ansible Motion Delta S3 Spin DIL simulator precisely replicates road driving environments, providing solutions that allow various driving characteristics – such as vehicle dynamics, driving safety, and ride comfort – to be tested in a virtual environment.
At the heart of the Delta S3 Spin is Ansible Motion’s patented six-degree-of-freedom Stratiform motion system with infinite yaw capability that is paired with a 360-degree wrap-around projection display and interchangeable vehicle cabins to create a fully immersive, lab-based environment. The Delta S3 Spin provides 1:1 cueing in many combined lateral and yaw situations, as well as superimposed road disturbances, and integration with all leading tire modelling packages. The Delta S3 Spin’s open software architecture and scalable 5×5-metre ground plane excursion base make it adaptable for future upgrades and integrations with external systems such as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) rigs and advanced vehicle or subsystem models. This ensures the investment continues to deliver long-term value as tire testing needs evolve.
Dan Clark, managing director of Ansible Motion, adds:
Tire development has entered a new phase where virtual testing complements and accelerates physical evaluation. Our Delta S3 Spin DIL simulator will enable Kumho Tire to investigate solutions for the next generation of tires in an environment that enables its engineers to be engineers - without the time and costs associated with traditional prototyping rounds.
DIL simulators allow detailed digital representations of tires to be analysed and evaluated across a range of parameters, from tread design and carcass construction to compound composition, with immediate human driver feedback captured in real time. By closing the loop between virtual and physical testing, Kumho Tire plans to refine its predictive models and improve the correlation between simulation and on-road results.
This will be Ansible Motion’s third DIL simulator installation in South Korea, highlighting the industry’s trust in the company’s advanced simulator offerings, and demonstrating the commitment of market leading OEMs and Tier 1s to invest in virtual vehicle development technologies.
Read more on The Asia Business Daily website.
