(June 26, 2014) RAYMOND, Ohio — In its constant pursuit of designing and building safer vehicles for all road users, Honda is pioneering the use of a groundbreaking new three-dimensional, crash-simulation visualization technology based on DELTAGEN, the leading high-end 3D visualization software by 3DXCITE (formerly known as RTT).

The technology takes the output from a commonly used advanced simulation software package, known as LS DYNA CAE, and renders the event in a three-dimensional presentation. The visualization technology, which was first designed for use in the animation and film industry, enables Honda engineers to more easily study the results of a crash simulation, test different design approaches and implement design changes with greater speed and efficiency.

Honda engineers are able to manipulate the rendering, rotate the view in any direction and strip away parts of the vehicle to isolate a section or component for more thorough analysis. The crash barrier can also be rendered transparent in the virtual environment so the immediate effects of a crash can be viewed from multiple points of view, including the driver's seat.



The visualization software was co-developed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., the North American research and development arm of Honda, and 3DXCITE.

"With this technology, we have gained the potential to improve the quality of decision making and reduce the time required for finalizing a vehicle design by greatly increasing the ease of communicating and understanding the results of a crash test simulation," said Eric DeHoff, Technical Leader for CAE in the Crash Safety Group of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. "This tool will promote a more complete understanding of vehicle safety design amongst all engineers involved in our vehicle development process."

Honda engineers challenged developers at 3DXCITE to integrate the DELTAGEN software with Honda's existing LS-DYNA CAE crash simulation data to deliver a detailed 3D rendering of the simulation. Honda engineers provided detailed parameters of the tool and oversaw its development.

"This technology would not have become a reality without the vision and leadership of Honda engineers," said Tom Celusnak, Solutions Architect for 3DXCITE.

"Past efforts at creating this kind of highly realistic rendering involved weeks of concentrated effort by engineers and rendering specialists and would result a single simulation with fixed viewing parameters," added DeHoff.  "With this new technology we can create and manipulate the simulation at the push of a button, and we can do it in hours instead of weeks."

Honda R&D has been utilizing LS-DYNA non-linear crash simulation technology since 1998 as part of its new-model development process and has used the technology to help develop new safety designs, including its next-generation Advance Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, now being applied to every new Honda and Acura vehicle, and the innovative one-piece hot-stamped door stiffener ring first applied to the HRA-developed 2014 Acura MDX. 

Today, as a result, Honda has more vehicles achieving an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating than any other automaker, including the Honda Accord sedan and coupe, the Civic sedan, Odyssey minivan, Acura RLX sedan and Acura MDX sport-utility vehicle.