Ansible Motion and Continental Come Together for Connected, More Sustainable, Simulation-Driven Tire Testing

The Delta S3 simulator from Ansible Motions will enable the next generation of virtual objective and subjective testing for its OE car and commercial vehicle tires.

FREMONT, CA: A pioneer in effective, intelligent, and affordable solutions in its 150th year of existence, Continental has selected Ansible Motions Delta S3, which utilizes highly immersive simulation motion and vision systems to develop and evaluate a highly complex mix of powertrain, safety, and driver technologies. Looking forward, the Delta S3 simulator from Ansible Motions will enable the next generation of virtual objective and subjective testing for its OE car and commercial vehicle tires. The speed and precision of using a high-fidelity simulator allow Continental engineers to find better solutions to improve grip, wear, and fuel efficiency in a more sustainable way, owing to the opportunity to test and verify significantly more iterations of compound and construction.

“Developing and testing premium tires is a highly complex, time-intensive process. By using the new dynamic driving simulator, we will make this development process even more efficient in the future,” says Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of Research and Development of the Tires business area at Continental. “We want to actively shape the virtual development process in the automotive industry in the tire sector as well. The new simulator combines state-of-the-art technology with the vast experience of our professional test drivers. Continental is one of the pioneers in the use of this innovative, hybrid test technology,” he added.

The new Delta S3 platform means that motions can be maintained over longer periods in tire production applications, ensuring more realistic interactions such as two-lane car maneuvers, close and long cornering, and driving on various surfaces and in a variety of weather scenarios. The S3 is suitable for a subjective and analytical ride and vehicle dynamic testing of battery, hybrid, and internal combustion powertrain vehicles, all while meeting the reaction time demands of professional development drivers, thanks to its ability to accelerate and change direction rapidly.

“For passenger and commercial vehicles, tires are the components that connect the driver to the road. Developments in simulation and modelling are enabling tire manufacturers to quickly assess multiple iterations of their products in the simulator many more than you could attempt in real-world testing,” says Kia Cammaerts, founder of Ansible Motion. “Our DIL simulator enables tire engineers to be more creative, unlocking the key performance differentiators of grip, wear and low rolling resistance, in a more sustainable way.”

Ansible Motion, a trusted expert in Driver-in-the-Loop vehicle simulation technology for over ten years, has improved its third-generation Delta DIL, creating a platform designed specifically for engineers to offer class-leading dynamics, immersion, and motion. The full specification of the production-ready S3 will be announced later this month when the company announces new orders ahead of the start of production in Q4 2021.