By ATN
Summary: AVL and Ansible Motion have partnered to integrate AVL’s VSM real-time simulation software with Ansible Motion’s Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulators, enabling virtual test drives of complete vehicle models earlier in the development cycle. AVL has installed an Ansible Motion Theta Seat simulator at its Ann Arbor Technical Centre for customer demonstrations.
Key engineering takeaway: The integration allows engineers to run AVL’s full-vehicle real-time model — covering chassis dynamics, powertrain drivability, ADAS and active safety calibration — within a DIL simulator where a human driver can provide subjective assessment alongside objective data capture. This connects directly to AVL’s broader SiL, HiL and Virtual Test Bed toolchain, creating a continuous virtual development pipeline from component modelling through to system-level validation.
Why it matters: Shifting subjective vehicle dynamics assessment from physical prototypes to calibrated DIL simulation can significantly compress development timelines and reduce prototype builds. As OEMs face pressure to develop increasingly complex software-defined vehicles with more attribute interactions to resolve, the ability to evaluate and iterate on chassis, powertrain and ADAS tuning simultaneously in a virtual environment becomes a meaningful competitive advantage.
AVL’s VSM integrated with Ansible Motion’s DIL simulators
AVL Mobility Technologies, Inc. (AVL) and Ansible Motion announce their partnership to provide vehicle manufacturers and suppliers AVL VSMTM software with Ansible Motion’s Driver-in-the-Loop Simulators. This one-two punch in virtual development will allow users to develop components and vehicles more quickly by significantly reducing development, testing and validation time and cost.
AVL VSM is a comprehensive and flexible real-time simulation tool that enables the user to model components, systems and complete vehicles. It allows users to test vehicle dynamics and performance in realistic scenarios, which is crucial for optimising vehicle characteristics and ensuring safety. VSM enables a more integrated approach to vehicle design and optimisation by allowing simultaneous consideration of various vehicle attributes and components and how they interact with each other.
When VSM is paired with an Ansible Motion Driver-in-the-Loop simulator, the user can test the changes to the virtual model and refine the chassis dynamics, powertrain drivability, ADAS and active safety function calibration with a virtual test drive.
“By combining AVL VSM with Ansible Motion Driver-in-the-Loop simulators, manufacturers can move critical decisions to the front of the development cycle, dramatically reducing physical prototypes and test iterations,” says Gary Newton, AVL’s vice president of business development. “This tool combination can have an enormous impact on timeline and budget. Imagine validating 70+ track scenarios per day in multiple conditions, surfaces and drive events. The result isn’t incremental improvement, it’s months saved and millions preserved.”
Salman Safdar, Ansible Motion’s business development director, adds: “Through our continuing collaborative efforts with AVL, we’re developing new ways to conduct subjective and objective evaluations of qualified concepts much earlier in the vehicle design cycle. Connecting our simulators seamlessly with a feature-rich simulation environment like AVL VSM elevates the virtual vehicle development process for manufacturers seeking to shorten development times, realise cost savings, and reduce environmental impacts.”
Taking this a step further, AVL has installed an Ansible Motion Theta Seat simulator in its Ann Arbor, Michigan, Technical Centre so customers can “test drive” the VSM + Ansible Motion combo. This is especially impactful when paired with the technology in AVL’s test cells. Customers can take their virtual models and further the development with AVL‘s Software-in-the-Loop (SiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) and Virtual Test Bed (VTB) solutions in AVL’s Advanced Mobility & Simulation Lab.
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