Can video games take the automotive industry to the next level?

• Opportunities for collaboration between digital and automotive sectors increased by the Digital Engineering and Test Spoke
• APC Digital Engineering and Test Spoke Launch Event on 16 June 2016

Technology used to develop video games is being used to help solve challenges in the automotive industry. Solutions developed in the gaming industry are opening up a new world of opportunities for cross over with the automotive sector. Numerous breakthroughs are being made through collaborative projects between the two sectors, with technology advancements such as Virtual Reality helping develop the way automotive companies design and manufacture vehicles.

To aid this collaboration, the Advanced Propulsion Centre has recognised the Digital Engineering and Test as a Spoke of the APC which will create a community of the leaders from the digital sector and bring them together with the automotive industry. The Digital Engineering and Test Spoke will host its official launch event on 16 June 2016. The spoke, located at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London is focused on delivering digital solutions which halve the time and cost of the development and validation of advanced propulsion systems.

The event will bring together a host of experts from the automotive and digital communities. A range of talks will showcase the exciting potential for these sectors to come together to develop the next generation of automotive technologies. Key players in the world of Digital Engineering and Test will share their knowledge and inspire delegates on how they are developing solutions to automotive design & manufacturing challenges using digital engineering, gaming, big-data and high-power computing.

Bringing together the Digital community with UK automotive manufacturers and supply chain partners the event aims, to open up a world of opportunities for collaborative projects between the two communities.

The event will also showcase leading developments in digital and automotive technologies to demonstrate first-hand the potential opportunities which these collaborations provide.

Mike Woodcock, National Network Manager at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, said:

Huge opportunities lie ahead for collaboration between the automotive industry and the digital engineering and test community. Bringing these two communities together has the potential to answer the challenges that the automotive industry currently has much more quickly and cost effectively. The amazing skills that the digital engineering community can bring have the potential to transform every aspect of the automotive industry. The Digital Engineering and Test Centre is one of six Spokes. The team at the DE&Tc will be the glue which helps connect our Spoke communities for Internal Combustion Engines, Electric Machines, Power Electronics and Energy Storage to deliver integrated solutions across the whole of the Low Carbon Vehicle landscape. The Spoke Network is growing rapidly, bringing together leading academics in the UK with industrial partners from all aspects of the supply chain to collaboratively solve problems and build the Propulsion Nation.

The Spokes are designed to provide access to the best expertise and facilities the UK has to offer in key strategic technologies for the automotive industry. Each of the Spokes is hosted by an organisation with recognised expertise in those key technologies, but the fundamental role of the Spoke is to coordinate a community of common interest.