❱❱ Clockwise from main image: Maserati’s innovation laboratory, where its new vehicle range is simulated as well as its operating environment; ergonomics and the effects of light on control panel visibility are all simulated in the User eXperience Lab; static simulation technology uses hardware-in-the-loop to plug real development components into a virtual testing environment; and students from Italy and the USA gain first-hand experience of advanced simulation technology in a competitive commercial environment
reproduction of driving posture, visibility and interactions with the on-board controls and displays, and where the vehicle under development can be driven in any scenario with the utmost realism. The integrated
design of the user experience is aided by the effective, coherent visual, acoustic or haptic alerts in the highly automated driving mode, from the
level of distraction generated by the most frequent operations to the accessible layout of the controls, and full information in the
different driving modes. One example in the lab is the “skylight simulator”, designed to reproduce lighting conditions at all times of day, at any point in the year and at any latitude. Here there is a detailed focus on reflection problems, to avoid disturbance at the wheel while still providing an attractive interior design. Additionally, the psycho-acoustics lab is
VIRTUAL FORMULA WINNERS
where the sounds made by future Maseratis are developed, such as the acoustics of the controls, the audio alerts, the driver assist systems and of course the acoustic signature of the engine and drive train.
ELECTRIC FUTURE Using the DiM simulator also makes it possible to study and emulate the electrified vehicles included in Maserati’s future plans, even before physical tests become possible. Maserati is working on the development
The suppliers of the simulation equipment used at the Maserati Innovation Lab, VI-grade, used the manufacturers facilities recently to provide winners of its Virtual Formula competition for academics with an insight into the workings of advanced simulation in a working environment. The winning teams from Dynamis PRC
of the Politecnico di Milano and Cal Poly Racing from California Polytechnic State University visited the Modena facility courtesy of VI-grade. Maserati has a strong belief in
collaborating with universities, something
borne out by the company’s workforce, half of whom are under 35. According to the Cal Poly Racing team
which won the competition in the Electric Drivetrain category, the opportunity to go to Italy and witness the real world applications of simulation was of high value to the students. Dynamis PRC, winner of the Internal
Combustion category, was particularly interested to see how a company such as Maserati uses such sophisticated equipment as the DiM250 Dynamic Driving Simulator for commercial purposes in a highly competitive market.
of its future range of electric vehicles and the simulation suite offers new opportunities to explore electric propulsion and how it can be exploited in ways that keep the Maserati DNA intact. Already, weight distribution and the
location of the centre of gravity have been effectively analysed and optimised thanks to the scope for testing hundreds of different configurations without the need for building physical prototypes. The company has developed a platform approach that guarantees all of the car’s active contents and its electric traction can be balanced to provide dynamic performance. Particular care has been focused on
using the vast potential of electric motors in terms of power and rapid response. T&TH
February 2020 /// Testing & Test Houses /// 31
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