Step into BMW Group’s Driving Simulation Centre in Munich, Germany and the first thing likely to catch your eye is a huge black and white pod suspended on hydraulic legs. Looking for all the world like a gigantic floating mechanical jellyfish, this is the High-Fidelity Simulator.
Inside the jellyfish is a full-sized car that can be “driven,” with realistic steering, throttle, and brake inputs that mimic the vehicle’s real-world performance to an incredibly high degree of accuracy. The driver of the car travels through a photorealistic virtual world rendered using Unreal Engine.
The High-Fidelity Simulator is just one of 14 different Unreal Engine-powered driving simulators housed in BMW Group’s futuristic simulation center. One of the most technologically advanced facilities in the automotive industry, it’s also one of the largest—spanning 11,400 square meters.
Inside the jellyfish is a full-sized car that can be “driven,” with realistic steering, throttle, and brake inputs that mimic the vehicle’s real-world performance to an incredibly high degree of accuracy. The driver of the car travels through a photorealistic virtual world rendered using Unreal Engine.
The High-Fidelity Simulator is just one of 14 different Unreal Engine-powered driving simulators housed in BMW Group’s futuristic simulation center. One of the most technologically advanced facilities in the automotive industry, it’s also one of the largest—spanning 11,400 square meters.
This is where BMW Group performs tests across every phase of the vehicle development process, in simulators of all shapes and sizes, all under one roof.
If the BMW Group’s Driving Simulation Centre illustrates one thing, it’s that the German automaker has gone all-in on driving simulation—and for good reason. Simulation gives auto manufacturers distinct advantages when compared with traditional on-road testing.
Risky and unusual scenarios, from blown-out tires to weather disasters, can be replicated in the simulator safely and with a great level of detail.
If the BMW Group’s Driving Simulation Centre illustrates one thing, it’s that the German automaker has gone all-in on driving simulation—and for good reason. Simulation gives auto manufacturers distinct advantages when compared with traditional on-road testing.
Risky and unusual scenarios, from blown-out tires to weather disasters, can be replicated in the simulator safely and with a great level of detail.
Courtesy of BMW Group
Especially when it comes to automated driving functions, it’s essential for the German automaker to be able to simulate traffic scenarios that rarely occur in the real world, or that are simply too risky to test in the real world, in order to develop the safest and best products for their customers.
Simulated lab testing also makes it possible to reproduce specific driving scenarios as often as required, which increases the validity of the test results.
Meanwhile, the ability to simulate every step of the development process—from display and operations, to fine-tuning the chassis, to driver assistance functions—reduces the number of prototypes that need to be physically built, streamlining the entire development cycle.
Real-world testing is much more expensive, time-consuming, risky, and logistically complex. In the simulator, the team have controlled and reproducible scenarios and environments that aren’t possible in the real world.
Both BMW Group engineers and customers take part in simulation test drives, with tests monitored and assessed from control rooms. Test conductors can quickly change the driving scenario by adjusting the Unreal Engine-powered visuals such as the weather, the season, and the time of day, as well as variables that will change the feel of the drive such as the road surface and type of tires.
Simulated lab testing also makes it possible to reproduce specific driving scenarios as often as required, which increases the validity of the test results.
Meanwhile, the ability to simulate every step of the development process—from display and operations, to fine-tuning the chassis, to driver assistance functions—reduces the number of prototypes that need to be physically built, streamlining the entire development cycle.
Real-world testing is much more expensive, time-consuming, risky, and logistically complex. In the simulator, the team have controlled and reproducible scenarios and environments that aren’t possible in the real world.
Both BMW Group engineers and customers take part in simulation test drives, with tests monitored and assessed from control rooms. Test conductors can quickly change the driving scenario by adjusting the Unreal Engine-powered visuals such as the weather, the season, and the time of day, as well as variables that will change the feel of the drive such as the road surface and type of tires.
Courtesy of BMW Group
The feedback acquired enables BMW Group to assess how new features are likely to be received—before they’re put into production. That means the automaker doesn’t have to guess whether the public will like a new update: they can show them new tech upfront and gauge whether or not to proceed.
The Driving Simulation Centre makes a big contribution to product development at BMW Group. Real-world testing requires professional test drivers but in the Simulation Centre, they can test directly with regular customers—up to 100 each day—and incorporate feedback into the development process at any time.
The Driving Simulation Centre makes a big contribution to product development at BMW Group. Real-world testing requires professional test drivers but in the Simulation Centre, they can test directly with regular customers—up to 100 each day—and incorporate feedback into the development process at any time.
A broad range of automotive simulation capabilities
Each of the center’s 14 simulators offers different capabilities and testing areas of focus.The High-Fidelity Simulator effectively brings the road into the lab. Its six moving hydraulic supports mount to a system of tracks and slides that cover an area of 400 square meters.
The pod instantly reacts and tilts as the driver inside operates the vehicle, creating the feeling of braking and turning. When it comes to acceleration, the system can produce 0.65 G—providing that sensation of pull as the car moves through the gears.
The High-Fidelity Simulator tests the driveability of the car in scenarios such as dense urban traffic, which can be particularly challenging for automated driving systems.
In another lab, the High-Dynamic Simulator enables engineers to test highly dynamic driving scenarios such as evasive maneuvers, full braking, and hard acceleration.
The other simulators in the center range from small preparation simulators with fixed projection screens and small motion systems to large-scale simulators with LED walls. The displays are powered by up to 15 graphics nodes.
Unreal Engine for automotive simulation
The real-time graphics application powering all 14 simulators in the facility was developed with Unreal Engine.The BMW Group Driving Simulation Centre opted for Unreal Engine because of its out-of-the-box functionality—including support for multi-cluster rendering with nDisplay, Procedural Content Generation (PCG) tools, support for virtual reality (VR) applications, and of course, real-time photoreal graphics.
Photorealism in the simulators is critical for producing valid results, and Unreal Engine’s interactivity helps BMW Group run all simulators at 120 frames per second or higher. Photorealism also helps to create a sense of presence and immersion—which contributes a lot to reducing motion sickness in the simulators.
BMW Group uses Unreal Engine’s PCG tools to simulate a range of real-world environments, along with Megascans to populate those environments with assets such as foliage, and Niagara for volumetric simulation of rain, dust, and other weather patterns.
Their engineers also tap the extensive MetaHuman library to populate virtual worlds with interactive pedestrians, cyclists, and more.
By combining BMW Group’s simulation expertise with best-in-class real-time rendering, the automaker is on the fast track to efficient, cost-effective automotive testing—and all the business benefits that brings.
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