SEOUL, South Korea — Nexen Tire Corp. has added a high-dynamic driving simulator, a virtual-reality (VR)-based technology for tire development, which the company said is the first of its kind in the Korean tire industry.
Nexen partnered with British equipment supplier Ansible Motion Ltd. for the initiative, which is "expected to bolster collaboration with auto makers, helping to shorten vehicle development times and reduce costs through accelerated virtual development," Nexen said, without disclosing its investment in the technology.
VR tire development uses virtual tires and mathematically simulated performance, eliminating the need for an initial physical prototype when creating a new product, Nexen said.
The driving simulator simulates real-world conditions without the use of actual vehicles, allowing drivers to assess virtual tire performance. It can accurately predict tire performance through real-time simulations, incorporating precise tire modeling techniques to real-world product design and performance evaluations, the company said.
Nexen plans to use the technology to predict and optimize the performance required for original equipment (OE) tires in advance. VR development cuts costs association with raw materials, vehicles and space rentals while also shortening the testing period and processing time from prototype to finish product.
Nexen previously integrated VR and AI technologies into tire development. The company established an AI Performance Prediction System in 2022 that uses machine learning to predict key tire performance metrics at conception. The technology allows tire developers to quickly and accurately forecast characteristics such as fuel efficiency, noise, handling and grip, leveraging extensive test data accumulated over time.
Nexen is further expanding its use of AI technology by developing a system that uses XAI (eXplainable AI) technology, which generates answers to given test variables and also explains and interprets results and processes to provide optimal design solutions.
Using VR and AI technologies improves competitive tire technology while also contributing to Nexen's environmental, social and governance (ESG) management practices by reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, the company said.