Big Data Transforms Crash Test Dummies Into Virtual Beings

Before the world became digital, the automotive industry heavily relied on dummies, cadavers, animals and even human volunteers to perform crash testing. Thanks to the power of computing, these less reliable physical crash tests are being replaced with more humane and accurate methods such as virtual simulation. But as cars become more complex and powerful, how accurate can simulations predict the injury outcome of a virtual crash? Very accurate with Big Data!

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is an example of an automotive company that leveraged the power of Big Data to fuel its simulation operations to deliver Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year for 2012 – the Range Rover Evoque.  By plugging EMC Isilon storage into JLR’s Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) infrastructure, engineers can quickly collaborate and iterate across massive amounts of detailed data for superior product design and more accurate crash testing. As a result, JLR was able to deliver a high quality product in a short time frame – all within a small carbon footprint compared to other automotive manufacturers.

This is one of many Big Data stories EMC and Intel share through a new Internet show called “At The Intersection”.  The goal of the show is to showcase trailblazing new technologies and the fascinating people driving them. Ken Jennings, all-time Jeopardy! champion, hosts the show’s discussion with the technology gurus driving innovation within their organization.  Click here to watch the first show with JLR and to participate in a live Twitter conversation.

Click here, for more technical information on JLR’s Big Data use case.

About the Author: Mona Patel