VI-grade has completed installation of its DiM500 Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulator at Bridgestone’s R&D Centre near Rome, Italy, supporting the company’s digital tire development efforts for electric vehicle (EV) and internal combustion platforms.
The DiM500 system enables tire performance evaluation in a fully virtual environment, allowing engineers to assess characteristics such as handling response, load transfer, and ride behavior under simulated real-world conditions.
These capabilities are particularly relevant for EV development, where higher vehicle mass, instantaneous torque delivery, regenerative braking, and NVH sensitivity place distinct demands on tire design.
The simulator integrates a large motion platform with a five-meter range of motion and a carbon-fiber cockpit. The system reproduces vehicle forces and dynamic responses typically validated through physical testing. By combining high-fidelity simulation models with subjective driver input, historical test data, and AI-supported analysis, engineering teams can evaluate a wider range of tire specifications earlier in the development cycle.
Physical testing remains part of the validation process but can be reserved for later-stage confirmation. Bridgestone estimates the system could reduce the need for up to 12,000 experimental tires annually, lowering material usage and associated environmental impact.
Driver-in-the-Loop simulation is increasingly used to connect subjective driver feedback with virtual vehicle models, enabling earlier engineering decisions and reducing prototype dependency in tire and vehicle development programs.
Filed Under: Software, Technology News