Tires Also Move to the Simulator

Bridgestone takes a new step in the digitalization of its tire development with the integration of a simulator.

Bridgestone, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tires and sustainable mobility solutions, has recently integrated a Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) driving simulator at its research and development center located near Rome, Italy. This equipment, a DiM500 model provided by VI-grade, marks a new step in the digitalization of its tire design process.

This simulator allows for the evaluation of tire performance in a fully virtual environment. It is based on a mobile platform offering a movement radius of 5 meters and a carbon fiber cockpit. This configuration accurately reproduces the dynamic forces encountered in real driving, combining physical simulation, subjective feedback from test drivers, and analyses based on artificial intelligence.

A more virtuous ecosystem

Bridgestone has already been using its Virtual Tyre Development (VTD) technology for over ten years, significantly reducing the reliance on physical resources. The addition of this DiL simulator strengthens this digital ecosystem by allowing for a greater number of tire configurations and driving conditions to be explored, while accelerating design iterations.

Road or track tests remain essential for the final validation phases, but the number of physical prototypes required significantly decreases. According to the company’s estimates, this approach could save up to 12,000 experimental tires per year, thus contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of development.

This simulator also promotes co-development with car manufacturers: it allows for parallel work on tires and vehicles, shortening time-to-market and optimizing the fit between the tire and specific model.

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Initially focused on dry road handling, the device is expected to soon incorporate a wider range of scenarios (rain, snow, etc.). This initiative is part of Bridgestone’s investment strategy in research and development, aiming to meet the growing demands for performance, sustainability, and innovation in the automotive industry.

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