At the Virtual Center LATAM, advanced software creates immersive 3D models
The 800-square meter Center is divided into three areas. The first area is the Virtual Reality Room, where advanced software is used to create immersive 3D models of vehicles. Via a 150-inch screen with interactive 3D technology, teams can view a highly-detailed 3D model of the vehicle and interact using hand-held joysticks.
The Integrated Room uses 4D technology which enables interaction from an adaptable cockpit. The use of a wireless virtual reality headset creates a fully immersive experience similar to being inside a real car.
In the Auto Shop, designs that have been approved in the virtual phase comes to life through materials such as resin, carbon fiber and glass fiber, including components created with 3D printing technology. A series of physical tests are then conducted in a controlled environment.
The Most Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Simulator in the Southern Hemisphere
While the adaptable cockpit in the Virtual Center allows us to experience being inside a car before a physical prototype is actually built, the SIMCenter takes the experience to another level. This vehicle dynamics simulation center uses a motion platform to emulate the ride and handling of a vehicle in a fully-controlled virtual environment, closely duplicating the actual driving experience with real-time feedback.
These simulations enable definition of the technical and functional characteristics of the components that determine a vehicle’s dynamics – such as shock absorbers, springs, stabilizer bars – without having to go to a test track. They also assist in identifying design changes much earlier in the development process, thereby reducing product development times and project validation costs.
The simulator can be used to test any vehicle, road surface or driving environment and the tests are conducted by professional drivers experienced in evaluating the dynamic behavior of vehicles on track.
The SIMCenter, housed at the PUC University of Minas Gerais near the Group’s Betim plant, was created as a multi-disciplinary environment for collaboration. The Center is used by FCA engineers and technicians as well as professors, students and researchers from a variety of disciplines such as architecture, medicine and physiotherapy.