Kistler reveals why conventional in-cylinder pressure calculation models may not hold up when analyzing zero-carbon fueled engines 

Optimizing engines to efficiently burn zero-carbon fuels is a key task in the current shift toward a more sustainable future. A fundamental measurement requirement in the development of combustion system engines has long been the detailed analysis of combustion pressure data. However, for many, the basis for interpreting the test data still relies on calculation models for carbon-based fuel combustion. Given the chance to conduct their own extensive study at the University of Nottingham, pressure measurement experts from Kistler took a closer look at how these models hold up with these low or zero-carbon fuels. After tests with various ammonia-hydrogen mixtures, the experts were surprised by how significantly even small changes in the fuel-mix affected the derived results. The good news is that these findings might now help engineers optimize their combustion systems more efficiently.

Combustion pressure measurement gives engineers a clear image of what happens inside the engine during operation. To get relevant data, a small piezoelectric sensor is mounted directly in the cylinder head. As air and fuel are compressed and ignited, the rapidly increasing in-cylinder pressure is captured with high fidelity creating a detailed pressure curve for each combustion cycle. Based on this data, engineers know how fast the fuel burns, when exactly peak pressure is reached, how efficiently the energy is released and whether the combustion is stable. These insights are crucial for optimizing any combustion engine. They help with finding optimized combustion phasing to avoid knock or mechanical overload, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.

In other words, measuring and analyzing combustion pressure is an indispensable tool for building better and more eco-friendly engines. Yet, researchers and engineers still rely heavily on simplified first-law heat release models, which typically assume fixed polytropic indices. Polytropic indices are thermodynamic parameters which lie at the core of the analysis. They describe how pressure and volume change during gas compression or expansion in the cylinder, providing insights into how much energy is retained or lost during the process.

Questioning the calculation model

The polytropic index commonly used in combustion analysis has been well established and proven in many years of research on engines burning hydrocarbon fuels. Other types of fuels, however, differ significantly in thermodynamic properties, flame speed, ignition characteristics and specific heat ratio. Experts at Kistler, a leading manufacturer of piezoelectric pressure sensors, wanted to explore the sensitivity of this aspect, with respect to zero-carbon fuels – and how much this might influence the results in engine development work. “We wondered whether parameters proven in the research of carbon fuels would hold up when applied to zero-carbon fuel combustion. So, we decided to look into it,” explains Dr David Rogers, head of ICE systems at Kistler, who led the study.

In collaboration with the Powertrain Research Centre at the University of Nottingham, the team decided to make the most of the opportunity to work with the sophisticated test equipment and research engine that the facility has.

The mixture of ammonia (NH₃) and hydrogen is increasingly considered a carbon-free fuel alternative with a high potential for heavy-duty combustion engines as used in marine propulsion applications. Ammonia and hydrogen have combustion characteristics that differ significantly from conventional carbon fuels: while ammonia has a lower burning velocity than gasoline, hydrogen has a higher one and their specific heat ratios are different as well.

The Kistler team wanted to explore whether gasoline-based assumptions are still valid for ammonia-hydrogen blends, or whether they might introduce systematic errors in burn-rate analysis, combustion phasing prediction and ignition delay estimation.

“Ammonia and hydrogen are tricky to store. Also, you need an engine that is able to burn it. Thanks to the university, we had access to both,” reveals Rogers. “We really did not know what to expect and would have been happy if nothing had shown up in our findings. But that was not the case.”

The test approach: Getting to the basis of combustion pressure analysis

The laboratory at the university was equipped with a modern single-cylinder spark-ignition research engine with variable valve timing, direct fuel injection and a dedicated port fuel injection for ammonia and hydrogen. The high-speed in-cylinder pressure data was recorded using a Kistler piezoelectric transducer (Type 6045B), which was flush-mounted in the cylinder head. The connected KiBox2 combustion analysis system from Kistler prepared the data for interpretation. The tests covered both pure ammonia combustion and various ammonia-hydrogen blends (up to 60% hydrogen share).

The measured in-cylinder pressure was used as the main input, converting the pressure curve into an energy release curve, showing how quickly and at what crank angle the fuel’s energy is released during combustion. The research team compared the standard polytropic index based on gasoline combustion with a more detailed method: based on the measured pressure data and the specific fuel blend, the polytropic index was calculated individually for each operating point and each cycle. This enabled the Kistler team to quantify the potential error that is introduced when standard gasoline models are applied to ammonia-hydrogen combustion. Conversely, they were able to quantify the increase in accuracy achieved through fuel-specific, cycle-resolved calculations.

The results: Faced with a large potential for errors

Rogers and his team were stunned by the results. “We found the sheer magnitude of the potential errors surprising,” he says. “For some of the operational points the errors were so significant that they rendered the test results borderline unusable.”

Under pure ammonia operation, the polytropic index deviated in compression by about 4% from the gasoline default value. The experts found out that the discrepancies primarily affected the late combustion phase, while the early burn phase was less sensitive. Also, combustion accelerated and modeling discrepancies decreased as the hydrogen share increased.

“Our findings show that conventional gasoline-based heat release analysis is not universally transferable to zero-carbon fuels,” summarizes Rogers. “For accurate prediction of burn duration and combustion phasing, fuel-specific or cycle-resolved polytropic indices are required.”

How these results help engineers create more sustainable engines

In day-to-day engine research and development, engineers are under a lot of pressure to quickly improve engines. Here, discrepancies in the test results require repeated measurements, making the whole process less efficient. With more accurate calculation models and, consequently, a more accurate analysis, engineering decisions can be made earlier in the development cycle.

“These combustion metrics are commonly used by our customers in their research and development, so of course we are interested in supporting them as best as we can,” Rogers explains of the motivation for their study. “Experimental work like this helps us a lot in doing so. We want the users of our technology to be confident about the quality of their analysis. The ultimate goal is to make the calculation models better and easier to use through our products. Ideally, the data is so precise and the analysis so conclusive that engineers will be able to make informed engine design decisions already during the measurement phase. This way, we can speed up development time significantly and help engineers create better and more efficient engines.”

In the next step, Kistler intends to embed these findings into its measurement technology to ensure seamless user access. The KiBox2 analysis system enables straightforward implementation of cycle-resolved polytropic indices.

Also, the team wants to do more experimental work – with different engine types and zero-carbon fuel mixtures. “This is just a small part of a bigger picture. The goal of our work is also to clear the path for more cooperations with partners from the industry and universities to continue our research,” concludes Rogers.

As hydrogen, methanol and ammonia gain relevance alongside conventional fuels, testing strategies must evolve to address new physical properties, safety risks and performance expectations. This shift is driving demand for modular, application-specific test systems capable of replicating real-world operating conditions with high precision.

A key challenge lies in the behavior of fuel-contact components under varying thermodynamic and media-specific conditions. Differences in viscosity, compressibility and reactivity between liquid and gaseous fuels require adaptable test environments. Modern systems must therefore combine hydraulic, mechanical and electronic testing capabilities within a single platform.

From component testing to system understanding

Advanced test systems now go beyond basic functional checks, enabling detailed analysis of flow rates, pressure behavior, leakage and long-term durability across components including valves, injectors, pressure regulators, rails and pumps. For injection systems, precise measurement of injection quantities and dynamic flow characteristics is critical.

One example is pressure-based measurement for injection analysis. Systems such as the IAV Cross Injection Analyzer determine injection rates from pressure changes in a fuel-filled channel, enabling dynamic, reproducible measurements without moving parts, reducing maintenance needs while supporting high-resolution data acquisition and real-time integration into digital test environments.

Lifetime and endurance testing also play a central role, with components subjected to mechanical and electronic stress scenarios to assess wear behavior and failure mechanisms over time; insights essential for validating designs intended for series production.

Simulating real-world conditions

A defining feature of modern test infrastructure is the ability to simulate realistic and extreme environmental conditions. Temperature-controlled test chambers enable testing across a wide range – from -76°F to +302°F (-60°C to 150°C) – while additional parameters such as humidity and ambient pressure can be adjusted to replicate specific operating environments.

The combination of environmental simulation with functional testing allows engineers to identify critical interactions early in the development process.

Complementing physical testing, feasibility studies and pre-validation in dedicated development labs help refine test procedures for new applications. This is especially important when dealing with emerging fuels, where standardized testing protocols may not yet exist.

Safety engineering as a core design principle

The introduction of alternative fuels adds significant complexity to safety engineering. Substances such as hydrogen, methanol and ammonia can form explosive atmospheres under certain conditions, making comprehensive hazard analysis essential.

As a result, modern test systems incorporate explosion protection concepts aligned with international standards such as ATEX and IECEx, alongside functional safety requirements defined by Performance Level (PL) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL).

Safety considerations extend beyond the test bench itself. Infrastructure factors such as ventilation systems, gas detection and facility layout are equally important. Effective solutions require a holistic approach that integrates test system design with the surrounding environment, often supported by early-stage risk assessments and coordination with local authorities.

Hydrogen testing and electrolyzer development

Hydrogen technologies add further complexity, particularly in electrolyzer development, where the focus shifts from individual components to entire systems, including single cells and stacks.

Testing requires combining electrical and fluid-based measurement techniques, assessing electrical performance, efficiency and degradation alongside flow distribution and thermal management – a convergence sometimes described as the merging of electronic and fuel testing.

Emerging test concepts support multiple electrolyser technologies, including PEM (proton exchange membrane), AEL (alkaline electrolysis) and AEM (anion exchange membrane). Modular architectures allow scaling across power classes and varying instrumentation levels, suiting both research and industrial pre-series validation.

Modularity as a strategic advantage

Given the uncertainty surrounding future fuel pathways, flexibility has become a key requirement. Modular test systems enable manufacturers to adapt to changing technologies without the need for entirely new infrastructure. Different test methods – such as flow measurement, leak testing and endurance testing – can be combined within a single system and expanded as requirements evolve.

This approach not only reduces investment risk but also accelerates development cycles. By enabling parallel testing and rapid reconfiguration, modular platforms support faster iteration and more informed decision-making.

Outlook

As propulsion technologies diversify, testing is becoming increasingly central to bridging innovation and industrialization. Generating reliable, application-specific data under realistic conditions is critical for performance, safety and regulatory compliance.

The trend is moving away from standardized solutions toward specialized, adaptable test environments, with modularity, safety integration and cross-disciplinary testing capabilities emerging as defining features of next-generation validation systems.

In recent news, Nio opens new UK R&D center in Oxfordshire

Naturally, visitors and exhibitors felt that it was beneficial to be able to meet new and old faces, with the exhibition being a unique opportunity to do so. Exhibitors in the AI realm, and those with an AI application on display, noticeably captured visitors’ attention. Read ATTI‘s Day 1 roundup here and our Day 2 roundup here.

The MOVEdot workshop: AI agents in automotive testing, which was run by the company’s co-founder and CTO Bruno Finco, also proved incredibly popular. In a first for the workshop organizers, it was so busy that Finco ran it twice in one afternoon. 

On Day 1, Patrick Stiller, AI lead at tracetronic, presented in the Innovation Showcase – A journey to agentic testing – to a packed audience. Another example of the impact AI is having on the testing community. 

The content truly was the icing on the cake for visitors, with the AI and data-focused presentations in the Innovation Showcase receiving strong audience engagement. The majority of the talks and content streams in the ATTI Awards Forum and Innovation Showcase were well received and standing-room-only. 

With Euro 7 and Euro NCAP 2026 coming into place this year, it was clear to see that developers currently feel they are fighting an uphill battle, with more than ever on their plates. The frameworks were the topic of two panel discussions and raised some important questions. 

ATTI hosted an onstage interview with Emma Deutsch, tech director, Nissan Technical Centre Europe, and Guy Mathot, ADAS and connectivity software validation fleet supervisor at Ford. Richard Schram, Euro NCAP tech director, was unable to join ATTI onstage due to an unforeseen issue. 

Mathot candidly said during the discussion, “The additional amount of testing is a burden. With the extra scenarios and the introduction of extended types of testing, everything has to move faster. With the introduction of the robustness testing there is still a bit of a question mark as to how it’s integrated.”  

He revealed that the OEM has had adapt its tools and methods, invest in additional equipment – faster targets for example – and new tracks for high-speed crossings. 

In addressing the issue, he noted the importance of simulation, which was echoed by Deutsch, who commented, “You’ve got to go down the simulation route because, let’s be honest, if you don’t you’re dead. We’ve had to invest in that and train our engineers. We’ve also had to double down on our marketability team – it’s about getting that balance between what the customer wants and Euro NCAP.” 

“For me, the real value of attending an exhibition is the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations, build meaningful connections and see hands-on demonstrations in person. That level of engagement simply cannot be replicated online”
Vishnu Asvathanarayanan, function owner – system engineer, Valeo Detection Systems

Bugatti-Rimac’s vehicle dynamics controls manager Alessandro Pino appeared alongside the CEO and co-founder of Marple, Matthias Baert, to present A modern lakehouse architecture for automotive testing. Following the talk, he emphasized to ATTI, “We encourage teams to think beyond isolated datasets and adopt a centralized data strategy, using a unified data lake such as Marple DB combined with an exploration and analysis platform like Marple Insight.” 

It was also a welcome and refreshing change to see so many truck developers on the show floor, as well as on the panel discussions. There was even a professional truck driver, Tatiana Sokolova, taking notes in the audience, who was keen to give her input from a driver’s perspective and learn more about how simulation, AI and real-world data can support each other. 

“I came to Vehicle Tech Week to meet people and learn from the presenters and the show floor. It has been exhausting but happy. For me, the real value of attending in person is the spontaneous meetings you did not plan”
Carina Bjornsson, technical expert ADAS test methods, Volvo Cars

Like Deutsch at Nissan, Dr Christof M Weber wanted to highlight the criticality of always taking the customer into account, and to that effect, he arranged a meeting with Sokolova. He was on a panel discussion – Combining virtual environments with real-world testing – alongside Leo May, lead simulation engineer, Nissan Technical Centre Europe; Mikel Martinez, managing director, EPowerLabs; Andreas Richter, engineer program manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles; and moderator Carlos Sebastian Nerini, CEO and co-founder of WOM Testing Technologies.

Nerini said, “The panel was highly successful in my view. It flowed from start to finish, with exactly the kind of high‑level discussion we needed, enriched by meaningful contributions from all panelists. The strong audience presence, concrete examples, and insightful inputs clearly show the relevance of the topic. Even with limited direct questions, the depth of content required time to be processed, which is often a sign of quality discussions. These are the kinds of conversations that start to drive change and raise awareness about the transforming impact of new technologies on established development processes.”

Weber commented, “It’s about making concepts stable and resilient against changes during the project, resilient against variations and different models. Then it becomes clear that you have to do virtual testing when it comes to variance, because a prototype you build once cannot be copied 100,000 times, but you can perform hundreds of calculations.” 

“As a regular visitor, I came to Vehicle Tech Week to network and explore new solutions and technologies. The experience has been organized, slick and full of variety. Meeting vendors in person beats online every time”
Jon Gale, TS – rig and system integration, Jaguar Land Rover

VIP Executive Club

The event also featured the VIP Executive Club, a dedicated space for senior leaders that offered curated peer talks throughout the show. 

“We have had some great sessions and heard some great stories [during the PeerTalks],” said Arun Udamakuyar, systems architect, Jaguar Land Rover. 

Vehicle Tech Week Awards 2026

At the end of Day 2, visitors, exhibitors and other attendees had a chance to relax a little while networking and celebrating. The first Vehicle Tech Week Awards, which encompass the ATTI Awards, the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Awards and the Trailblazer Awards, were hailed as a huge success. The ATTI Award winners – Humanetics, DSD, Tracetronic, WeRide, DTS and Santiago Rayes – were absolutely delighted to receive the recognition. Read more about the ATTI Award winners here.

Visitor testimonials

“I came to Vehicle Tech Week to share our experience on a project of global relevance, gain feedback on our technical deployment strategy and explore the latest trends in CAV and AI presented by a broad range of industry players, from OEMs to component suppliers. My experience has been enlightening, useful and cool – literally, the air-conditioning worked well! Face-to-face events continue to be invaluable, offering a true opportunity to build an industry network”
Mircea Gradu, VP vehicle engineering and FISITA board chair, Karma Automotive and FISITA

“We usually interact with many [suppliers] over the phone or on Teams, so being able to meet them all in one place makes a real difference. It is also valuable to see competitors side by side, understand where their services overlap and have more organic conversations than you would in a set meeting. The experience has been informative and has opened up a lot of curiosity, leading to additional questions and follow-up workshops with suppliers back in the UK. Exhibitions are important because they help you step outside your own bubble, gather external opinions and see whether your views align with the wider industry”
Craig Lewis, Jaguar Land Rover

“I’m a vehicle engineer working on vehicle testing for new Ford Otosan projects. I wanted to learn about new systems, new equipment and new test centers from suppliers. The experience has been fun, intense and insightful. Attending an exhibition in person allows for real interaction, hands-on experience and stronger networking compared to online”
Suleyman Esen, senior vehicle NVH engineer, Ford Otosan

Dates for the diary

On offer at Automotive Testing Expo North America 2026 will be another content-packed program with insights from OEMs, academics and suppliers. That will include the Future of Automotive Testing Conference, focusing on the ‘shift-left’ movement, as well as the Innovation Showcase. It will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, October 22-25, 2026.

Vehicle Tech Week Europe will return to Messe Stuttgart June 2-3, 2027, and will continue to unite the automotive technology ecosystem across testing, autonomy, interiors and future mobility.

Read more: Find full coverage of Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2026 here

A key heat transfer fluid (HTF) in automotive applications is monoethylene glycol (MEG) mixed with water in varying ratios. At low temperatures this fluid becomes viscous. Peter Huber Kältemaschinenbau’s Unimotive range of temperature control units are specifically designed and built so that this increasing viscosity does not affect either the temperature control or the flow control. Testing encompasses safety evaluations including material flammability tests, stress and load analyses and temperature-dependent assessments. Huber’s temperature control systems, coupled with the accurate flow control of HTF, results in reliable and repeatable results. This not only enhances the overall quality and safety of automotive components but also ensures precise engineering outcomes for manufacturers.

Leading the green way

The automotive sector is a leader in technological innovation and progress. The sector is driving ever-improving efficiencies and implementing green energy solutions. Sustainability and energy conservation have been at the core of engineering design and execution at Huber since the company started in 1968. The company’s dedication to sustainability is reflected in its use of natural refrigerants in all models, with options including refrigeration systems that use CO₂ as a refrigerant with set-points as low as -45°C. Products are fabricated using high-quality, recyclable materials that promote longevity and reduce waste. It is attention to details like this that Huber believes sets it apart and demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

CO₂-based automotive temperature control technology 

Its latest achievement in sustainable innovation, the Unimotive GL (Green Line) series, sets a new benchmark in environmentally friendly refrigeration, according to the company. Operating with CO₂, this series provides a 100% eco-friendly alternative to systems using synthetic refrigerants. Designed specifically for automotive applications, the Unimotive GL series facilitates direct operation with water-glycol solutions, offering an extensive temperature range (in the XT variant) from -45°C to 150°C.

Attaining such an elevated temperature using water/MEG as an HTF is achieved by passively and safely pressurising the HTF circuit. In the event of a power failure, the pressure is safely lowered without the use of active components.

The series supports diverse applications, including temperature simulation tests, material durability evaluations and stress/load testing for functional automotive components. Since its adoption in the refrigeration field in the 19th century, CO₂ has proven to be highly effective. With no ozone depletion potential (ODP = 0) and a minimal global warming potential (GWP = 1), it significantly reduces environmental impact. Additionally, CO₂’s large-scale natural availability eliminates energy-intensive production processes. Its non-flammable, non-toxic and chemically inert properties make it an ideal choice for sustainable engineering solutions.

For the XT variant, with temperatures reaching up to 150°C, the carbon footprint remains minimal across the lifecycle – from production to operation and beyond.

Progress and sustainability

As automotive manufacturers integrate these eco-friendly systems, they contribute to both technological progress and environmental preservation. Huber’s principles of quality, performance, reliability and repeatability are coupled seamlessly with ecological responsibility — which Huber says is a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and forward-thinking ethos. In summary, Huber’s eco-friendly temperature control technology goes beyond machinery and metrics. It is a catalyst for reshaping the automotive landscape sustainably.

In 2010, Damian Harty was enjoying an especially rewarding time in his career as technical specialist in dynamics at Prodrive, the renowned UK engineering consultancy and motorsport preparation outfit. Having previously been involved in the development of the all-conquering Subaru Imprezas in the World Rally Championship, he had turned his attention to the new (and disappointingly short-lived) Mini Countryman WRC initiative. At that time, Harty wrote an article for Vehicle Dynamics International, ATTI’s former sister title, about the Mini’s development, in which he memorably noted, “There will always be a bigger rock. However much suspension travel there is, it will all get used up. Whatever loads are designed for, they will be exceeded.”

That there will always be a “bigger rock” neatly summarizes much of the difficulty of automotive testing, no matter which part of the vehicle is under consideration. Sixteen years later, during a chat with Harty, ATTI began by asking whether it is now easier than it was before to know where the limit of testing should lie. “I don’t think so, because the challenge is not so much about the vehicle itself, it’s about what the vehicle will encounter,” he replies. “And for as long as you have human drivers and, let’s say, imperfectly calibrated software drivers, it’s still difficult to anticipate the corner cases with which the vehicle will be presented.

“That was what I meant by ‘There will always be a bigger rock.’ So, the requirement to understand where we draw a line in the sand, and then what happens when we inevitably accidentally overshoot that line in the sand, still exists, I think.”

Harty notes that Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the original Mini, initially believed that the car’s combination of small size, light weight, front-wheel drive and hydrolastic suspension provided drivers with greater safety margins – but later realized that drivers would fully use up whatever margins you gave them.

“Someone will always go the other side of that line in the sand, so we still need to understand what happens there,” he continues. “We then try to make a value judgment about where we draw the line, such that, if you’re just below it then things emerge undamaged, or if you’re above it, things are damaged in a way that we can predict.

“A further difficulty is that you’re trying to stay inside the herd. If your line is drawn in more or less the same place as everyone else’s, then you’re probably okay. But if it is drawn a lot higher than everyone else’s, your products cost more than they need to; a lot lower than anyone else’s line and you will be on the receiving end of some pretty unpopular sentiment. I think that finding where to draw the line is no easier or more difficult than it ever was.”

A blend of human experience and previous data remains the key to determining how demanding a test should be, according to Harty. “One of the challenges that I understood very clearly in the powersports industry is that as your products improve, people move the line,” he observes. “The speed that people are willing to carry over a certain surface goes up, for example. As you make products better, people’s expectations increase. It’s not a static thing at all.” In short: the test engineer’s work is never done.

Recipe for success

Looking ahead to this year’s ATTI Awards, which will take place at Automotive Testing Expo Europe, Harty notes that test engineers are continuing to marry new techniques with established tools. For the latter, Isaac Newton’s F=ma remains his go-to for a back-to-basics understanding of what is happening to a vehicle, component or subassembly. He also expresses surprise at how little FEA has evolved in the past 30 years, computing power aside. For new methodologies, he highlights automotive software testing as an area where tools are advancing especially rapidly – but cautions that the industry’s understanding of how the product is being used, and therefore where the focus of testing should lie, is still evolving.

“Testing is about trying to find stuff before your customers do,” he explains. “The two areas where that’s most difficult tend to be durability and anything to do with software. The durability challenge is pretty much the same as it has always been. I think that for metallic components, we’re quite well served [with tools and knowledge]. But as soon as you switch to polymers or composites, for example, we’re grasping in the dark as to what they’ll do under repeated loading. That holds us back from using different materials for critical structural applications.

“Meanwhile, the scope for software is evolving all the time,” he continues. “When you put things in the hands of the public, you have the million-monkeys, million-typewriters problem, where they are generating scenarios that you maybe didn’t test for, so all the energy and effort is on the software side. Personally, I’m not so interested in whether the cellphone connectivity works properly or not, because it’s unlikely to be life threatening if you get that wrong. But there is a lot of functional stuff where many systems are interacting and there’s a whole load of corners to poke into. I feel like there is a lot of unmapped territory there that we’re still finding our way into as an industry.”

Harty believes that help in finding such corner cases will be one area in which AI will benefit the testing industry. “One of the things I like about AI is that it’s like talking to someone who isn’t necessarily all that clever but is hugely widely read. For the corner cases, I think it will be easier to poke more deeply into the corners, find and flag an issue, and specifically test for it.”

No two the same

Knowing what to test for will remain an issue for test engineers more generally, he believes, and will continue to be a moving target as customers exploit the margins to which Issigonis referred. Harty has been reminded of this in his recent work with TVS, India’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, rekindling a working relationship that began in the 1990s.

“For me, the biggest misconception about testing is the illusion that we really know what people are going to do with our products,” he confirms. “I think people underestimate how much of an honest best guess is used in all sorts of testing. There’s an erroneous belief in precision that’s misplaced when it comes to putting products out in the wild and understanding what people are going to do with them.

“When I began working with TVS in the 1990s, the engineers talked about how one product, a 50cc moped, was used as a load carrier. I did not understand what they meant: after all, it has a 50cc, two-stroke engine that makes just over one horsepower and can barely do 30mph [50km/h]! But when I came to India, I saw endless examples of multiple sheets of 8 x 4ft [2.4 x 1.2m] plywood, bags of concrete and more, all piled up in incredibly imaginative ways on mopeds with someone walking beside them, using the engine to just walk the load to where they wanted to go. I had no conception that the product could be used like that, but these engineers understood their market. The load case for the pedals was not a human, it was as many sheets of 8×4 ply as you could balance on it – a very different number of kilograms.

“That is an example of the sort of thinking that is quite difficult, especially if you’re coming up with a novel product,” he concludes. “It’s hard to imagine how people might conceive of using your product. That, I think, will continue to keep us interested and amused going forward.

“There is a glorious quote from Douglas Adams in Mostly Harmless: ‘A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.’ He’s saying that whatever you think, there’s no guarantee that’s how everyone else will think. It’s a fascinating idea.”

This article was first published in the June 2026 edition of Automotive Testing Technology International

The results of this year’s Automotive Testing Technology International Awards will be announced at Automotive Testing Expo Europe next week – secure your ticket now!

The ATTI Forum has been curated exclusively for professionals across vehicle development, testing and quality assurance, dedicated solely to discussing next-generation analysis practices and technologies, including hardware and software, that will shape tomorrow’s development landscape.

What themes or trends are you seeing emerge most strongly right now?
Over the past few years, several themes have become major auto news for various reasons. One of those is Euro 7 because it introduces the testing of non-exhaust emissions for the first time (brake and tire emissions), as well as stricter limits on nitrogen oxides and an extended compliance window of 200,000km or 10 years, compared with Euro 6’s 100,000km or five years. As such, we have organized a panel discussion – Euro 7 compliance requirements: Challenges and industry preparedness – with specialists from across the sector to help our audience share strategies and insights.

At one point, it seemed that revelation after revelation was emerging about the vulnerability of vehicles to hacking, alongside data privacy issues linked to the application of AI in vehicles (see our feature on the topic, No free rides, in the June 2025 issue of ATTI). We’ll also be hosting a panel discussion on this and other safety topics – Safe by design, secure by default: Navigating SOTIF, functional safety and cybersecurity in modern automotive testing.

Another key thread is data. Big data has been at the forefront of discussions throughout my 14 years working on ATTI, but there now seems to be a realization that action is needed if the sector is to fully exploit the potential of all the data it has been capturing. Having it is one thing, using it is another – and people seem to be springing into action. It’s a theme throughout the ATTI Awards and Forum, as well as the show itself, and I’m looking forward to learning how developers are tackling the challenge. I am personally looking forward to the presentation from Bugatti Rimac’s vehicle dynamics controls manager, Alessandro Pino, and Marple CEO and co-founder, Matthias Baert – A modern lakehouse architecture for automotive testing. The audience will learn how the two companies have worked together to create a next-gen data architecture, having stored, queried and analyzed 300TB+ of powertrain data from the Tourbillon. 

What topic do you expect attendees to be discussing long after the ATTI Forum ends?
Data and digital twins. I was at another industry event recently and asked various people how they define a digital twin, and whether they would agree with the statement that many digital twins are “static 3D models with a few datapoints layered on top.” These words were written by Dr Ahmed Abada, a senior product manager at BMW Group, in a column he wrote for the March 2026 edition of ATTI. At first, the answer I received was simply, “It depends.” But once I got people talking, we ended up discussing and debating different viewpoints for quite some time.

I’m really looking forward to chatting with Dr Abada and getting his thoughts on digital twin applications, data security and other industry issues, including how regulations affecting exports to the USA are impacting European OEMs. For example, regulations around components, software and hardware, and where automated testing can help.

What are you hoping to learn from the conversations happening here?
Every day I am fed content from external sources about the latest testing innovations and groundbreaking vehicle projects. It’s easy to be fooled into thinking everyone has it sorted, that every vehicle tester is doing their job with their eyes closed. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt our audience members take everything in their stride. After all, it is the engineer’s job to experiment, learn and develop new solutions. However, I am interested in hearing about the day-to-day challenges engineers are facing in the lab behind closed doors.

For example, it’s all well and good to say that test automation is helpful, but where are facilities struggling to integrate automated testing and AI into digital twin processes so that these technologies are not standalone tools, but part of a broader workflow? And, crucially, how can our exhibitors help visitors meet those niggles head-on?

Hear from Rachel on June 23 at the ATTI Forum, where she will be joined by engineering experts from AVL, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Daimler Truck, among others

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As vehicle engineering and digital systems converge, the vehicle itself is being reimagined and software-defined at its foundation – not with software layered on afterward. At the center of this shift is connectivity, enabling secure updates, diagnostics, telemetry and more personalized experiences while providing the visibility and control needed to validate, maintain and continuously improve quality- and safety-critical functions.

Supporting communication across cellular, wi-fi, Bluetooth (BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ultra-wideband (UWB) and high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) – alongside the compute and sensor-fusion demands of advanced driver assistance and autonomy – requires a robust, high-bandwidth architecture. For years, the industry met that need with a familiar compromise: more exterior antennas and long runs of heavy, costly coaxial cable routed to a centralized telematics control unit (TCU) buried deep within the cabin.

Today, the demands of massive data ingestion, split-second autonomous decision-making and over-the-air capabilities have pushed legacy architecture to its physical and economic limits.

GM’s modernized approach to vehicle connectivity

To support GM’s next-generation software-defined vehicle architecture – where connectivity must seamlessly deliver OTA updates, high-bandwidth infotainment and data-rich services – GM is converging on a radically different approach: the integrated Connectivity Hub Module (CHM). As a unified connectivity node, the CHM places all major radios at the optimal radio-frequency location and presents a clean, high-bandwidth digital interface into the electrical architecture’s core compute and broader vehicle network.

By integrating antennas directly with the connectivity electronics and placing the module at the optimal RF location – such as the roof – GM is rethinking the hardware foundation of the software-defined vehicle. This architectural choice dramatically improves cost, mass, volume and RF performance, but it also introduces complex multiphysics engineering challenges, most notably receiver desensitization, RF coexistence and thermal load.

How integrated CHM solves the traditional connectivity dilemma

In a classical connectivity stack, the system is explicitly divided: a roof-mounted ‘shark fin’ houses the passive or active antennas, while a TCU sits elsewhere in the vehicle, connected by up to 5m of dedicated coaxial cables.

While a modular approach places antennas in an ideal location, it brings severe physical and logistical bottlenecks. High-frequency signals, especially the gigahertz bands used in 5G cellular and wi-fi, experience significant insertion loss as they travel through long cables and impedance mismatches at connectors. This results in degraded performance and a significant part number count to manage at an enterprise level. Additionally, thick bundles of coaxial cables consume valuable packaging volume, add mass, complicate electromagnetic compatibility and require expensive connectors that complicate assembly-plant operations.

The integrated CHM collapses this distributed architecture into a single, highly optimized edge node. By combining the network processors, memory, RF transceivers, antenna arrays and a dedicated backup battery for OnStar functionality into a unified module, it acts as a complete, self-contained connectivity hub.

This consolidation provides immense engineering benefits, but realizing these advantages requires navigating the uncompromising laws of electromagnetics and thermodynamics.

Technical merits of antenna-TCU integration

GM has found that antenna integration provides an efficient approach to connectivity, with advantages that stretch across performance, design and overall system cost:

Eliminates cable loss and boosting performance
In RF engineering, every decibel of signal matters. A standard automotive coaxial run (transmission line) can degrade high-frequency signals by several decibels before even reaching the receiver. Integrating the antennas directly onto the CHM’s printed circuit board (PCB) and inside the same housing eliminates the cable run. This maximizes signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and drastically improves the link budget, resulting in faster data throughput, greater range for high-bandwidth applications, and highly reliable connection even in fringe coverage areas where our customers adventure.

Addresses the desense challenge
While integration minimizes transmission line loss, it introduces one of the most notoriously difficult challenges in mixed-signal engineering: desense (receiver desensitization).

An integrated CHM is essentially a high-performance computer packed with ultra-fast gigabit ethernet switches, double-data-rate (DDR) memory interfaces, Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) buses and high-current power supplies all radiating broadband electromagnetic noise. When highly sensitive receiver antennas are integrated right next to this roaring digital engine, the noise floor is artificially raised, effectively ‘blinding’ or desensitizing the antennas to faint incoming signals from cell towers or satellites.

Board-level desense control is a critical enabler for the CHM and demands aggressive EMC strategies. Engineers use intricate multicavity RF shields to isolate the digital system-on-chip from the RF front end, along with advanced PCB stack-ups featuring dedicated ground planes and buried stripline routing to contain return currents. They also tune drive strength and spread-spectrum clocks, and design localized filtering topologies that suppress harmonic noise at the source. Success depends on extreme physical packaging and lock-step coordination across electrical, software, mechanical and RF engineering.

Resolves the radio coexistence (coex) puzzle
If desense is the threat of internal digital noise, coexistence (coex) is the challenge of the radios shouting over one another. The CHM packs cellular, wi-fi, BT, BLE, UWB and GNSS into a highly constrained volume. These distinct radios frequently operate in adjacent or overlapping frequency bands. A high-power wi-fi transmission, for example, can easily spill into adjacent cellular bands or completely deafen the highly sensitive GNSS receiver.

Solving the coex puzzle requires a rigorous, multilayered approach. At the physical level, RF engineers must achieve every decibel of antenna isolation within a tiny footprint, leveraging spatial diversity and orthogonal polarization. Electrically, the board architecture relies on high-performance acoustic-wave filters to create incredibly sharp cutoffs between active bands. Finally, at the software layer, the CHM utilizes advanced time-domain multiplexing to intelligently coordinate transmission schedules, ensuring the radios interleave their signals without stepping on each other.

Powers the thermal management equation
Bringing the computing power of a TCU to the roof of the vehicle introduces a profound thermal challenge. The vehicle’s roof is subject to immense solar loading, often reaching extreme temperatures in the summer sun. Simultaneously, the 5G transceivers and network processors inside the CHM generate substantial internal heat.

Because the CHM must be heavily sealed against water and dust ingress, engineers cannot rely on active fan cooling. Instead, thermal management must be achieved through innovative mechanical design.

This approach uses the module’s cast-aluminum housing as a structural heat sink, and advanced thermal interface materials to move heat away from critical components. It also relies on intelligent software to dynamically throttle compute or transmission power during peak thermal events while preserving safety-critical communications.

Beyond RF and digital components, housing a battery in a roof-mounted module exacerbates the thermal and packaging challenges, requiring sophisticated charge-management algorithms to ensure reliability and safety across extreme temperature cycles.

Supports drastic reductions in mass and volume – and improved reliability
Automotive-grade RF cables are stiff, heavy and difficult to route during manufacturing. In addition to mass and volume, every interconnect is a potential failure point of the system and has historically led to quality challenges. By entirely stripping meters of multicore coaxial cabling out of the vehicle architecture, the CHM immediately yields mass reductions and reliability improvements. With electric vehicles, every gram saved contributes directly to range optimization and overall vehicle efficiency. This integration frees up critical volumetric space within the vehicle’s pillars, headliner and instrument panel, reducing the complexity of the overarching wiring harness designs and allowing greater freedom.

Optimizes system cost and manufacturing
Coaxial cables and their associated automotive-grade connectors are some of the most expensive passive components in a vehicle’s electrical architecture. They require rigorous validation to ensure they do not degrade over years of thermal cycling and vibration. Consolidating the antennas and electronics slashes the bill of materials. Additionally, installing a single CHM on the assembly line via a standard digital connection (such as automotive ethernet) is vastly more efficient than routing long RF cables and mating multiple fragile connectors, driving down labor costs and reducing potential manufacturing defects.

Conclusion

The integrated CHM is a necessary step for the future of intelligent vehicles. It trades the straightforward but inefficient legacy cable architectures for a highly optimized, physically demanding integrated design.

By balancing the aggressive performance demands of modern networks with the exacting physics of desense mitigation, thermal management and power resilience, the integrated CHM delivers a connectivity foundation that is lighter, more cost-effective and vastly more capable. This kind of foundational engineering within GM is shaping next-generation connected vehicles and redefining what it means to keep millions of people safe, informed and connected on the move.

In related news, Hyundai/GM alliance powers forward with five all-new vehicles

When Hyundai Mobis required a reliable test solution to verify its Hybrid eCall system, the company selected Anritsu for its proven expertise in automotive communication testing.

As the automotive industry transitions from the conventional eCall emergency call system operating on 2G and 3G networks, where vehicles automatically contact emergency services in the event of an accident, to the next-generation (NG) eCall system using 4G networks, Hybrid eCall is crucial in bridging the gap.

Hyundai Mobis has adopted Hybrid eCall and overcome significant challenges, including acquiring test equipment, mastering the advanced 4G and 5G mobile protocols required for call initiation, and addressing the limitations of network simulation environments in the early stages of development.

Anritsu’s eCall Tester MX703330E and Signalling Tester MD8475B provided an effective solution to these challenges. By establishing a comprehensive test environment and using automated conformance testing and log analysis functions, Hyundai Mobis promptly identified the root causes of operational issues. Furthermore, sharing the test environment between the development and verification teams improved consistency, reliability and operational efficiency.

Hyundai Mobis integrates Hybrid eCall functionality into its data connectivity unit (DCU). Conformance testing is conducted to EU regulations and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) standards to verify the system’s functionality across various network conditions as well as ensuring interoperability with public safety answering points (PSAPs).

In addition, Hyundai Mobis was required to design test scenarios, perform error analysis, prepare detailed test reports and develop technical verification documents necessary for certification. These processes were supported by Anritsu’s simulation and functional testing capabilities.

There were two primary reasons why the company selected Anritsu’s test solution.

First, it enables comprehensive Hybrid eCall testing with an all-in-one tester. Previously, separate testers were required to verify Hybrid eCall, NG eCall and eCall. By integrating Anritsu’s MX703330E software-based tester with the MD8475B hardware tester, all three types of eCall functionality can be tested using a single solution. This integration reduced initial investment requirements and operational workload, improving overall verification efficiency.

The second reason was enhanced collaboration and efficiency using the same test environment as the development team. This alignment facilitated accurate issue reproduction and streamlined root cause analysis. Additionally, Anritsu’s clear setup documentation contributed to more efficient software updates and debugging activities.

With Anritsu’s technical support, Hyundai Mobis teams gained early access to the MX703330E, MD8475B and beta firmware versions. This enabled them to verify Hybrid eCall‑related software updates prior to official release, and perform conformance testing during the development stage.

Anritsu’s test solution also helped Hyundai Mobis build expertise in 4G and 5G mobile communications and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) signaling. Analyzing the operation of the SIP using the sequence log feature provided a practical understanding. Furthermore, the setup procedures were based on the provided manuals, and network simulations were repeatedly conducted with on-site support and phone consultations with Anritsu’s staff. With this support, the teams steadily acquired the knowledge of mobile communications required for eCall verification.

The teams also needed to simulate various network conditions. Using the handover and cell configuration features of the MX703330E and MD8475B, including signal strength control, ECL settings and service controls, they were able to effectively reproduce real-world network conditions. This enabled prompt and effective software verification.

Since implementing Anritsu’s test solution, compatibility between the DCU and the test environment has remained consistently high. The teams experienced no notable issues when integrating the product with existing hardware. The test environment was configured efficiently, and stable operation was achieved from the initial stage of deployment.

Hyundai Mobis has been able to conduct reliable, repeated testing in the laboratory, building a normal testing environment. It has also automated conformance testing and network simulations. Test scenarios were created using Anritsu’s SmartStudio Manager (SSM) MX847503A, which supports the generation of rapid and reliable test results, thereby contributing to improved development efficiency and product quality.

When issues arise, reviewing the sequence and message logs of the tester allows immediate determination of whether the problem is due to device settings or the hardware itself. This enables the verification team to provide accurate and timely feedback to the development team, reducing the time required for root cause analysis and problem resolution.

During the implementation process, Anritsu supported the teams from the program installation stage, which allowed them to establish the test environment smoothly. One unexpected issue was that the USIM card initially provided for the device was not compatible with performing the test eCalls required for functionality verification. Anritsu promptly provided a compatible USIM card, allowing the verification activities to continue without interruption. No additional compatibility issues were observed with the existing DCU verification setup.

Another challenge was the provision of a reporting tool, including testers’ logs. The initial conformance test reports could not be presented as objective evidence to certification bodies and relevant departments, necessitating further improvements. In response, Anritsu updated the reporting tool to create highly reliable reports that included logs from the MX703330E. As a result, verification results could be presented more clearly and convincingly.

Anritsu’s tester is stable and reliable, enabling the Hyundai Mobis teams to focus on analyzing hardware issues during the verification processes. On-site support and telephone and email communication from Anritsu – along with the manuals provided by Anritsu’s representatives – enabled the Hyundai Mobis teams to acquire the skills to operate the tester.

With Anritsu’s technical support, Hyundai Mobis plans to expand automation within its verification processes.

Beyond the eCall functions, the Anritsu test solution supports verification capabilities, including SMS transmission and throughput measurement. Although the details of these functions are still being finalized, Hyundai Mobis hopes to use them to increase the value of the equipment by broadening the scope of verification, enabling a more multifaceted analysis of product performance and, ultimately, contributing to the development of even higher-quality products.

Need to know

• Anritsu’s test solution enables comprehensive Hybrid eCall testing with an all-in-one tester
• Real-world network conditions can be reproduced, enabling effective software verification
• Hyundai Mobis recently sought a reliable partner to test its Hybrid eCall technology
• It chose Anritsu for the supplier’s expertise in automotive communications testing

Following a three- to four-year development project, the company created a completely redesigned tread compound and structure, producing a tire that delivers reliable performance and safety across dry, wet and winter conditions.

TTI was invited to test Apollo Tyres’ latest UHP all-season Quatrac Pro 2, and spoke with Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer at Apollo Vredestein.

The Quatrac Pro 2 was developed from the ground up. Were any previous tires, models, or compounds used as inspiration during its development?

When we talk about tires, especially winter tires and all-season tires, the rubber compound plays a crucial role. In general, we don’t design a completely new compound from scratch for each individual tire. Instead, we follow a broader technology roadmap where we continuously develop and refine different compound concepts and technologies. Then, when a specific new product is being developed, we tune and adapt these existing technologies to achieve the desired performance characteristics for that tire.

The development of the Quatrac Pro 2  has been a long-term journey based on experience from previous products – what worked well in the beginning, and what may no longer be at the top level today. In a more competitive market, especially where everyone is trying to deliver strong products every season, innovation is constantly being introduced by all players.

What were the main challenges in developing the all-season compound?

Another key aspect is the use of a blend of resins, which is extremely important, especially for an all-season tire. An all-season compound must be able to perform both in cold conditions and in warm conditions. The main challenge is how to tune these resins so that the compound becomes softer at low temperatures while still maintaining sufficient stiffness at higher temperatures. Achieving this balance is always a complex task.

In this compound, we are leveraging what we call a multifiller technology. This means we also use a carefully designed blend of fillers, which works together with the resin system. This combination allows the tire to perform well both in colder conditions and in warmer summer conditions.

We decided to tune this compound toward wet performance in cold conditions. As winters are changing, there is less snow, and conditions are increasingly cold and wet rather than snowy. Therefore, our goal was to develop an all-season tire with a clear focus on wet performance in cold conditions.

To what extent do sustainability targets and regulatory requirements guide material development and selection?

When we develop a new compound for tires, we now have to take into account the content of recycled and renewable materials much more explicitly than before. For example, we have a target for 2030 to reach a total of 40% recycled and renewable materials in our products.

As a result, every time we develop a new tire, we increasingly work on integrating materials that help us achieve this target, while ensuring they do not create any performance drawbacks.

This is a key challenge: the materials must support sustainability goals, but at the same time maintain the same level of safety, grip, durability and overall tire performance. The tires should be sustainable, without compromise on performance.

What role do simulation and real-world testing play in the development and validation of the tire?

It’s a combination of both simulation and physical testing. Over the years, we have developed very advanced simulation tools that help us better understand tire mechanics and dynamics. These tools allow us to simulate performance more accurately, and we use them more and more in every new development.

Each time we develop a new tire, we can rely on tools and applications that are continuously evolving. With every project, we learn something new, which allows us to refine the models, add new features and improve the reliability of our predictions. However, physical testing is still essential. For example, when it comes to snow testing or other critical conditions, it is extremely important to validate the tire performance in real-world environments.

Typically, simulation is used first to define the development direction. Then we go through iterative loops between virtual simulations and physical testing. We learn from each step, and depending on the specific areas we want to improve, we rely more on either simulation or testing.

From a strategic point of view, it is essential to have strong tools and to continuously improve them. How we use these tools in each case is more tactical. The more we use simulation effectively, the faster we become, the more data we generate and the more we can reduce costs. That is why we strongly push the development and use of these tools.

What role has AI played in the development of simulation testing?

We are now introducing AI-based tools, and we already have some in use, while also developing additional ones. For example, one of the tools we use to help design compounds is already based on artificial intelligence. However, AI is continuously evolving, so we are constantly looking for solutions that are easier to use, more intelligent, and more reliable in terms of their outputs.

What role did AI play in assisting the development of the Appolo Tyres’ new compound?

We are currently in a hybrid situation, where part of the process is supported by AI, while other parts still rely on traditional testing and validation methods. The AI applications we are using are already helping significantly. They allow us to speed up the development process and make it more efficient and effective. Overall, they help us work faster, reduce iteration time and improve the quality of decision-making during development.

How was the tread pattern chosen to complement the compound?  

The tread pattern moves away from the traditional directional design typically used for winter and all-season tires, which are usually more purely directional in their layout.

In this case, you can see the presence of longitudinal grooves. These longitudinal grooves introduce a more hybrid concept, bringing certain characteristics that are closer to a summer tire. In particular, the combination of longitudinal grooves and a strong central rib is more typical of summer-oriented performance, as it enhances stability and high-speed behavior.

At the same time, the rest of the tread is designed with a high number of sipes and winter-oriented features to ensure grip in cold and low-traction conditions. This is our way of interpreting all-season performance: combining elements from both summer and winter philosophies.

This approach is not always present in tires tuned primarily for winter or all-season use, and it reflects a specific design direction we wanted to achieve. It also connects with the compound strategy, which is designed to remain sufficiently stiff in normal, non-cold conditions, while still performing well at lower temperatures. This helps maintain stability and responsiveness.

In addition, the central rib in the tread pattern contributes to sharper steering response and more immediate reaction to driver inputs, improving overall handling precision.

Were there any common industry challenges that other manufacturers also face, which you encountered during development and would like to highlight to a wider audience?

In general, when developing a tire, the main challenge is finding the right balance between conflicting performance requirements.

All-season tires are a good example of this. The key question is what character or focus you want to give to the tire. Some products are clearly oriented toward wet performance, others toward dry handling or hot conditions. With all-season tires, there is still room to define a kind of signature or positioning for the product, mainly since it has to suit all environments.

Historically, the all-season segment started as a niche solution mainly for small cars many years ago. Today, however, it has evolved significantly. The all-season segment is currently the only tire segment in Europe that is still growing. This makes the development challenge even more relevant, because customer expectations are increasing at the same time.

The main technical trade-off in this segment is typically between snow performance and wet performance. That is why, when presenting the tire, we emphasised that although snow performance is aligned with that of competitors, the tire is particularly strong in wet conditions.

In any product development, there are several key constraints. The first is performance. The second, as discussed earlier, is sustainability. And the third, also very important, especially in today’s market, is cost.

If there were a single tire that people could use all year, it would make much more sense… but only as long as it is also affordable.

Durability testing in the defense industry

Durability testing is critical for ensuring defense vehicles remain operational in the harshest environments. Germany’s defense force, the Bundeswehr, conducts extensive durability tests on its vehicles at its Technical Centre for Land-Based Vehicle Systems (WTD 41) in Trier, Germany. Part of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), WTD 41’s job is to ensure Bundeswehr’s equipment is safe and fit for purpose.

The challenge

The nature of durability testing requires vehicles to be repeatedly driven over extreme surfaces, subjecting drivers to intense vibrations that can strain the entire body, particularly the spine, intervertebral discs and even internal organs. Due to the physical toll of these conditions, WTD 41 test drivers were limited to 30 minutes of testing before needing a break.

The solution

In 2011 the Bundeswehr began working with AB Dynamics and went on to adopt three of the company’s automated driverless systems. Each vehicle system includes pedal, steering and gearchange robots, a controller and a GNSS/IMU positioning device. Test vehicles are remotely managed from a base station using GTC software via an encrypted radio network. The solution enables vehicles to be driven without a driver while following a precise test course with centimeter precision.

Results

AB Dynamics’ Automated Driverless Testing solution has been successful enough that Bundeswehr has recently acquired a fourth system.

Removing the need to rotate drivers, tests could be run continuously, 24/7. According to the Bundeswehr, depending on the vehicle and the test requirement, the Automated Driverless Testing solution can significantly reduce test mileage, thanks to the precision and repeatability of the robot-controlled vehicles. This reduction in testing mileage translates to major time and cost savings. More importantly, test drivers are no longer required to be subjected to such arduous conditions, improving the health and safety of the test team. Since WTD 41 adopted its first solution, AB Dynamics has gone on to launch ABD Solutions, which extends its driverless robotic technology beyond applications solely focused on testing to automate the day-to-day operation of defense, mining and heavy industry vehicles.

This article was originally published by AB Dynamics as a highlighted case study