FORD Taps Quantum3D to Build Virtual Engineering, Safety Leadership

PR Log (Press Release) – Nov 03, 2009 – Quantum3D, Inc., a leading provider of Commercial off-the-Shelf (COTS) real-time visual computing solutions, today announced that it is helping Ford Motor Company build on its virtual engineering and safety leadership. Q3D has upgraded Ford’s VIRtual Test Track EXperiment (VIRTTEX) driving simulator with the latest, most powerful computing and simulation technologies to help improve vehicle safety.  At VIRTTEX, Ford is testing new active crash-avoidance technologies, the new frontier in safety, to build on its leadership in crash protection, which includes the most 5-star safety-rated vehicles of any automaker in history.
Ford Motor Company has upgraded the image generator in its VIRTTEX Driving Simulator to Quantum3D’s top-of-the-line, Independence™ Series solution. Located at its Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan, VIRTTEX is the auto industry’s only full-motion driving simulator in North America.  VIRTTEX has been operational since 2001 and continues to be a critical tool in Ford’s ongoing effort to better understand and identify the complexities of driver distraction.

Ford selected Independence as part of a comprehensive visual system upgrade for the VIRTTEX Simulator, which is used by Ford engineers to assist in automobile design, safety analysis, performance analysis, and human factors research. The Independence IG features NVIDIA® Graphics Subsystems configured in a unique System-Level, Parallel-Rendering Architecture.  This configuration enables Ford to take advantage of the system’s advanced features, including anisotropic filtering for more realistic road surfaces, shader-based rendering for enhanced lighting effects, and Boston Dynamics DI-Guy™ for realistic human simulation.

Additionally, technology insertion provides Ford with the use of open standards, such as Common IG Interface (CIGI).  Host interfaces and gigabit Ethernet provides Ford with a perfect upgrade path. The CIGI standard made the upgrade seamless to the other components of the simulator architecture, avoiding the need for programming to enable communication between the image generator and the VIRTTEX simulator.  Coupled with the deployment of Independence, Ford will leverage Quantum3D’s Mantis software which will allow them to deliver industry-leading performance. “VIRTTEX leads the way in the study of the interaction between car and driver, and it’s a great example of how real-time visual simulation can save lives," said Brian Overy, VP of Sales at Quantum3D. “Upgrading to Independence will allow Ford to conduct more detailed and precise virtual environment experiments that will benefit the driving public while saving on the expense and danger of test track experimentation.”


About Independence IDX Series Image Generator
The top-of-the-line Image Generator (IG), the IDX Series is ideally suited for a wide range of mission-critical military and civilian applications that require synthetic environment simulation, training, or mission rehearsal. COTS and open architecture, the Independence line of image generators enables rapid deployment for a wide variety of simulation and training applications.  It is perfect for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aviation simulation and training; FAA Level-D full-flight simulators; weapons systems and gunnery training; hardware-in-the-loop sensor simulation; automotive research & development simulation and driver training; military ground vehicle training; fixed-base and forward air traffic control simulation and training; ship’s bridge simulation and training; and mono & stereo scientific visualization and virtual reality.

About Quantum3D
Quantum3D, Inc. is the leading developer and manufacturer of Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS), open-architecture, real-time visual computing solutions. Quantum3D combines the most advanced hardware and software systems for graphics simulation in a variety of markets and implementations—tactical computing for avionics, vehicle, and man-wearable applications; synthetic environments; graphics subsystems; and other COTS solutions. Quantum3D is a privately held company headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information about Quantum3D real-time visual computing solutions, please visit www.quantum3d.com.