VI-grade, an automotive simulation technology company, and its parent company HBK, have reported that they enjoyed a strong turnout at the latest edition of their Smart Prototypes Summit series, a platform for automotive engineers to explore how simulation, physical testing and engineering data can be brought together for smarter vehicle development.
The Smart Prototypes Summit North America event, which was held on 15-16 September at the Multimatic Vehicle Dynamics Center in Novi, Michigan, drew more than 200 attendees.
The first day combined live demonstrations with customer presentations and a panel discussion featuring experts from Multimatic, Astemo, Stellantis and General Motors, covering topics including vehicle dynamics, NVH, ADAS, Driver-in-the-Loop simulation, and data-driven engineering workflows.
The second day continued with the HBK nCode and ReliaSoft User Group Meeting, extending the programme into durability, reliability and physical testing. Experts from General Motors, Rivian, MGA Research, Bendix and Integral Concepts contributed to the discussion.
Presentation slides approved for publication by the respective speakers are available for download on the Smart Prototypes Summit North America landing page.
The next international summits
Building on the momentum gained at the North America event, the series is continuing with two upcoming events in the United Kingdom and Japan, both of which are free of charge to attend, subject to advance registration and availability.
The Smart Prototypes Summit series will continue at Horiba MIRA in Nuneaton, UK, on 21st October 21, before heading to Nagoya, Japan, on 25th November.
At the heart of the event series is HBK and VI-grade’s Smart Testing vision. This is a goal of connecting virtual testing, physical testing and engineering data to help automotive development teams make informed decisions earlier, improve correlation across engineering domains, and reduce reliance on physical prototypes.
Smart Prototypes Summit UK
Organised together with Horiba MIRA, the UK Smart Prototypes Summit on 21st October will combine customer presentations, technical sessions, live demonstrations and Horiba MIRA facility experiences. The programme will cover vehicle dynamics, NVH, Driver-in-the-Loop simulation, durability and reliability, physical testing and engineering-data management, with contributions from automotive organisations including Nissan, Bentley and JLR.
Attendees will also experience HBK and VI-grade technologies and solutions including the DiM250, Compact and Compact Full Spectrum Simulators, VI-DataDrive Cloud, Aqira, ReliaSoft Cloud, and Advantage Insights.
Smart Prototypes Summit Japan
The series will then continue in Nagoya, Japan on 25th November, bringing the Smart Testing vision to the Japanese automotive engineering community.
The one-day event will feature customer case studies, technical sessions, demonstrations and networking, with contributions from Toyota Motor Corporation, Mazda, Suzuki, Toyo Tire, S&VL, Saginomiya Seisakusho, and Estech. Topics will span vehicle dynamics, NVH, ADAS and automated driving, HMI, durability, and reliability, with a focus on how virtual testing, physical testing and data-driven workflows can be connected throughout vehicle development.
