Nexen Tire has partnered with Britain’s Ansible Motion to create a VR-based driving simulator that eliminates the need for prototypes.
The Use of AI and VR Helps Nexen Tire Reduce Its Fuel Consumption and Carbon Emissions
Nexen Tire announced on Monday, 22 July 2024, that it is actively utilizing cutting-edge technology in research and development (R&D) to cope with the rapid changes in the mobility industry. The company is developing tyres using VR (Virtual Reality) technology to evaluate virtual tyre performance and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to predict performance, thereby enhancing the efficiency of its R&D efforts.
On July 4, Nexen Tire introduced its High Dynamic Driving Simulator, a VR-based equipment for tyre development, making it the first in the South Korean tyre industry. The tyre maker has partnered with Ansible Motion, a supplier from the United Kingdom, for this initiative. The driving simulator is expected to shorten vehicle development times and reduce costs through accelerated virtual development.
VR tyre development involves evaluating products using virtual tyres with mathematically simulated performance, thereby eliminating the need for initial physical prototypes. The Driving Simulator creates an environment that resembles real-world conditions without the use of actual vehicles, allowing drivers to assess virtual tyre performance. This cutting-edge equipment can accurately predict tyre performance through real-time simulations, incorporating precise tyre modelling techniques into real-world product design and performance evaluations.
More Competitiveness in a Shorter Time
With the introduction of the Driving Simulator, Nexen Tire plans to predict and optimise the performance required for OE (Original Equipment) tyres in advance, reducing time and costs while boosting its market competitiveness. VR development reduces costs associated with raw materials, vehicles, and space rentals while also shortening the testing period and processing time from prototypes to finished products.
Even before the introduction of the driving simulator, Nexen Tire had already integrated both VR and AI into its tyre development processes. In 2022, the company established an AI Performance Prediction System that uses machine learning to predict key tyre performance metrics at the concept stage. This system enables tyre developers to quickly and accurately forecast essential performance characteristics such as fuel efficiency, noise, handling, and grip, leveraging extensive test data accumulated over time.
Nexen Tire plans to further expand its application of AI technology. The company is developing a system that utilizes XAI (eXplainable AI) technology, which not only generates answers to given test values but also explains and interprets results and processes to provide optimal design solutions.
Reducing Fuel Consumption and Carbon Emissions
The successful implementation of VR tyre development processes and AI technology improves competitive tyre technology while also contributing to Nexen Tire‘s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management practices. Reduced reliance on real-world vehicle testing decreases fossil fuel consumption and significantly reduces carbon emissions associated with prototype production.
“We are committed to dedicating our R&D efforts to developing tyres that are suitable for new concept vehicles in a timely manner,” said a Nexen Tire representative in an official statement. “The product development process incorporating VR, AI, and other technologies aligns with our vision of opening a sustainable future with tomorrow’s technology.”
Nexen Tire manufactures and sells global tires used on roads in over 150 countries, drawing on over 80 years of accumulated expertise and technological prowess and leveraging a global R&D network that includes facilities in Korea’s Magok Central Research Institute, the United States, China, and Germany.
