rFpro: vehicle simulation needs to speak the same language

The global automotive industry is coloured by significant economic challenges that are forcing companies to constantly re-evaluate their strategies regarding connected, autonomous, and electric mobility. As a result, research and development costs are at an all-time high for many automakers—in 2022, Volkswagen spent US$15.8bn, while General Motors dedicated 6.25% (US$9.8bn) of its total revenue to R&D, according to WardsAuto.

Peter Daley, Managing Director of rFpro, a provider of engineering-grade virtual environments for vehicles, believes that simulation technology has never been more crucial in meeting today’s R&D needs. “It brings value in terms of time, cost, and the ability to explore lots of options in a way that would be impractical in the real world.”

While the company is involved with testing cutting edge autonomous vehicle (AV) tech, he tells Automotive World that advanced simulations can also help with more granular aspects of vehicle development, such as lighting characteristics from a headlight design. Regardless of what is simulated, accurate testing depends on the fidelity of data. However, there has historically been no shared simulation standard to ensure it.