Using the virtual world is becoming the new standard for testing vehicle safety and performance. Researchers at Penn State are using the new techniques on various projects.

"We now have the capability to build the virtual car and the virtual individual to crash with a high degree of precision and get almost very (accurate) results," said Moustafa El-Gindy, director of the Vehicle Simulation and Crash Research Centers at Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (PTI).

The industry trend now is toward virtual testing because of cost advantages, which will lead to virtual prototyping, El-Gindy said.

"In order to perform the (physical tests) it will cost you tens of thousands of dollars," he said.

Virtual simulations are much cheaper, he added.

Advances in technology and the use of computers also have allowed for more exact models. El-Gindy believes virtual testing is going to phase out physical trials.

"We don't need really to have the real crashes to study the impact of airbags (and) seatbelts," said El-Gindy.

Virtual testing helps the industry construct new and better tires, El-Gindy said.

First, understanding the dynamics of the tires is important in determining the calculations for simulations.

"We better know the tire dynamics . . . then we'll know the vehicle in more precise (terms)," said Yin-Ping Chang (graduate-mechanical engineering) who works with El-Gindy. Chang said he first cuts a cross section of a tire.

"From here we measure the dimensions," he said.

The information is then entered into the computer model and the tire response on the road is simulated, Chang said.

The scientists then look to see the amount of vibration the tires are generating.

"This frequency could affect the whole vibration of the car," Chang said.

If the tires cause a great disturbance, the researchers will look to find a way to lessen the vibration. Also, by using these simulations, they can observe the durability of the tires.

To Chang, tires hold a great importance in the performance of cars.

"The tire is the connection between the vehicle and the road," Chang said.

In addition, the simulations can impact factors outside of just automobiles.

The PTI is working with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on the effects of buses on the degradation of the roads.

"Basically, we want to see how the forces act as you are moving," said Andy Hoskins (graduate-mechanical engineering).

With knowledge of the forces of these heavy vehicles, the FTA can see if there is a correlation between force and road wear.

Besides the government, the auto industry itself is paying attention to the virtual wave. The PTI has worked on ventures for DaimlerChrysler and other companies.

With computer simulations, observing cars in different facets is possible.

The PTI also is studying car rollovers and occupant injuries. An auto manufacturer gives the researchers the characteristics of the vehicle and they proceed from there.

"We have to decide on the actual approach we want to use to get the vehicle to rollover and keep it as real as possible," said Meghan Henty (graduate-mechanical engineering).

After that step, Henty will use computers to add a seat, a seatbelt and a passenger and conduct further testing.

All of these calculations require a great deal of data.

"There are a quite a large number of parameters," El-Gindy said. "You have to be aware of a lot of details."