At the Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS) Namyang Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province—Korea's largest automotive research and development hub—visited Monday, a 270-degree curved screen appeared upon entering the driving simulator studio. Sitting in a driver's seat modeled after the interior of the G80 and pressing the accelerator, the vehicle began to glide smoothly along a virtual road on the front screen.
Because the cockpit looked as though only the front seat of the vehicle had been cut out, one might have expected the experience of practicing on a driving-license test screen. But turning the steering wheel produced a vivid sensation of tilting left and right in tune with the vehicle's movements. The subtle vibrations transmitted through the body of the car along the rough road surface also felt realistic.
To build a virtual simulator that conveys the feel of driving on an actual road, the Namyang Research Center precisely scanned the driving test track at the Namyang Technology Research Center down to the millimeter, recreating slopes, road surface irregularities, speed bumps, and even the texture of the asphalt. To support entry into overseas markets, roads in major markets such as Europe and the United States were also incorporated into the program.
Hyundai Motor Group built these facilities to improve the efficiency of the new car verification process. Until now, a prototype test vehicle had to be manufactured for testing each time a vehicle was developed. Now, however, the group can verify a vehicle's performance by analyzing precise analytical modeling data obtained through driving in virtual space.
"The driving simulator is equipment that not only predicts and evaluates changes in vehicle performance in virtual space, but also makes it possible to develop performance," said Jung Pil-young, a senior research engineer on the Driving Performance Concept Development Team.
Next, at the digital measurement center, work was underway to precisely measure the dimensions of the vehicle's body and components. The coordinate measuring machine (CMM), a three-dimensional device that reads coordinate values by making direct contact with the object being measured before gauging dimensions, measured about 1,000 points per vehicle. This is because quality problems arise unless parts are manufactured and assembled with perfect dimensions as designed. Precise dimensional measurement is also essential for identifying the cause of problems that occur after a vehicle has been assembled.
"We already have measurement data at every stage, from the body to the trim components, so even if a problem is found in a finished vehicle, we can immediately trace and analyze it," said Han Jin-soo, head of the Pilot Quality Verification Team.
In addition, Hyundai Motor Group is applying a range of digital-based innovative R&D technologies to the vehicle development process at the Namyang Research Center, including NOVA Lab, which verifies the performance of controllers. The aim is to shorten product development time and adopt innovative manufacturing methods by using digital technology that transcends constraints of time and space. Hyundai Motor Group's R&D technology is used not only in mass-production vehicles but also in the development of racing cars and high-performance vehicles such as the Hyundai N and Genesis Magma.
