Developments in simulation technology that enable a qualitatively new virtual prototyping approach to design of mechanical systems are summarized and their integration into an engineering design environment is illustrated. Simulation tools and their enabling technologies are presented in the context of vehicle design, with references to the literature provided. Their implementation for design representation, real-time driver-in-the-loop simulation, dynamic performance simulation, dynamic stress and life prediction, maintainability analysis, design sensitivity analysis, and design optimization is outlined. A testbed comprised of computer aided engineering tools and a design level of fidelity driving simulator that has been developed to demonstrate the feasibility of virtual prototyping simulation for mechanical system design is presented. Two 1994 demonstrations of this capability for vehicle design are presented, to illustrate the state of the technology and to identify challenges that remain in making virtual prototyping simulation an integral part of mechanical system design in US industry.
