How real-time test benches are accelerating vehicle function development | Highlights from ATE and ZPS
Meccanica 42 recently took part in two major industry events: the Automotive Testing Expo (ATE) in Stuttgart and the Zero Prototypes Summit (ZPS) in Udine to showcase its test benches.
Automotive Testing Expo (20-22 May 2025) is the world’s leading event for automotive testing, development, and validation technologies, bringing together the innovators shaping the future of vehicle development.
Zero Prototypes Summit (13-15 May 2025), on the other hand, has become a global benchmark for virtual vehicle development — offering a key platform for collaboration amid an industry-wide transformation.
At both events, Meccanica 42 demonstrated its commitment to reshaping vehicle function development by providing flexible, accurate, and fast testing solutions across every stage of the development cycle.
The company engaged with industry professionals, introduced its latest innovations, and showcased how its technologies can streamline workflows — from early component testing to full-system integration.
Smarter testing starts with the right tools
Meccanica 42’s plug & play test benches are engineered to evaluate real vehicle components — such as steering systems, brake actuators, and camera modules — either at the component, system, or vehicle level, and without the need of the complete system or vehicle.
Key capabilities include:
- Standalone mode: test rigs run autonomously, with no driver or simulator required, enabling objective, repeatable testing conditions.
- Repeatable, precise results: ideal for functional, durability, and misuse testing.
- Vehicle-level validation: optional integration of the test rigs in vehicle simulations to characterize, tune or debug the behaviour of the DUTs and their functions in realistic driving scenarios. Through Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL), it also enables subjective assessments.
- Flexible setups: test benches easily replicate the installation geometries of real vehicles.
These tools are designed to integrate seamlessly into a variety of testing workflows and scale in line with evolving development requirements.
Test benches in action: demo highlights
At both events, two distinct demonstration setups showcased the versatility and performance of Meccanica 42’s test systems.
1. Automated bench testing
The test benches executed automated tests — without driver input — to demonstrate how they can be used to:
- Run different kind of test: functional, durability, misuse tests etc
- Apply repeatable input profiles
- Monitor torque, position, and force data in real-time
Real-time graphs on screen showed exactly what was happening inside the test system.
2. Driver-in-the-Loop Simulation¹
In this scenario, the test benches were integrated into a simulation setup.
The driver was controlling the vehicle in the simulation using the steering wheel and the pedals of the Meccanica 42 cockpit.
His steering and brake inputs (i.e. steering angle and brake pedal travel) was replicated in real-time on the Meccanica 42 test rigs allowing:
- Real-time testing of the DUTs installed in the test benches
- Real-time steering and brake feel assessments depending on the DUTs behaviour and tuning
This scenario demonstrated how these systems can support advanced development workflows — including characterization and fine-tuning — before vehicle prototypes are available.
What's next for testing tools?
The engagement and feedback received at ATE and ZPS reinforce the need for agile, reliable testing tools in today’s fast-paced automotive landscape. As the pace of innovation increases, flexible tools for system validation and performance refinement are becoming an essential part of the development process.
Meccanica 42 continues to focus on enabling this shift — supporting a more efficient and scalable approach to vehicle function development.
¹The Meccanica 42 cockpit reproduces in real-time the pedal forces and the steering torque measured in the test benches.
For more information about our innovative solutions and how they can streamline your vehicle’s functions development, please contact us.
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