OzenCon Preview: Ansys CTO for Automotive Discusses Vision on Connected Automobiles

At the upcoming OzenCon, hosted by Ansys partner and reseller Ozen Engineering, Judy Curran, Ansys CTO for Automotive, is set to deliver a keynote talk, titled “Ansys Vision on Connected Automobiles.” In this podcast, Curran offers a preview of her talk.

“If you have a phone, you are continually getting over-the-air updates of new features. We want to help our automotive customers do the same for people who are driving their vehicles,” explained Curran. “Although connectivity implies software updates and software over the air, one of the big changes that have to happen is with the hardware of the vehicle.”

As software takes on a great role in the driving experience, Curran envisions cars also getting much more personalized, just as your own software can be configured to your likings. “Now, if I'm getting in my car, the car would know that I am Judy Curran, so it would set up my car the way that I like it, the way I like my seats, the way I like my infotainment system, the way I like my navigation, and the way I like my steering,” she noted. 

It takes much more than incremental updates with individual modules, she pointed out. “It would take larger domain and supercomputers to create these features,” she added.  “We at ANSYS can help the carmakers design these new architectures, from the chip to the board to the module, and then also help them design the software, by having our software help them simulate the sensors and the actuators in the vehicle.” 

System modeling—the old challenge—is still the hardest hurdle to overcome, in Curran's view. “The hardest scenario to simulate is the complexity of the whole vehicle in general,” she said. “For instance, there's a lot of electromagnetic interference in driving. We're able to now simulate that and project that, so there aren't any issues in the field.”

For parts and components that suppliers must redesign for improvement, Curran thinks AI might speed up the process. “Once a customer has done a design a few times, we can actually take the design results and simulation results and do a machine-learning model, then create the next design faster,” she explained.

For Ansys, the new challenge is to broaden the reach of simulation. “What does it take for every engineer to have simulation on their computer and be comfortable using simulation? We're spending a lot of time on apps, the human-machine interface, and tools for engineers, so that everyone can use simulation.”

For the whole conversation with Curran, listen to the podcast. 

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