Simon Holloway, Commercial Director at Dynisma, joins the SAE Tomorrow Today podcast to explore the future of motion simulation.
In a recent episode of the SAE Tomorrow Today podcast, Simon shares an insider's perspective on how cutting-edge motion simulation is revolutionising both motorsport and automotive vehicle development.
It’s an Unfair Advantage: Simulation in Motorsport
Dynisma’s simulators provide an unfair advantage to teams competing at the highest levels of motorsport. From Formula 1 to Formula 2, Formula E, WEC, and IMSA, simulation is used for:
- Vehicle setup and engineering strategy
- Driver familiarisation and training
- Tyre performance evaluation
- Aerodynamic development
- Suspension and chassis tuning
- Strategy modelling under different race conditions
"Simulation is no longer just a driver training tool," Simon explains. "It's an engineering asset used to optimise performance before the car even gets to the track."
With tighter testing regulations across motorsport, simulation enables teams to run unlimited scenarios in advance; from adjusting roll bar stiffness to analysing tyre degradation on various compounds.
Simulation in the Modern Automotive Development Process
In the Automotive industry, as vehicle complexity increases, OEMs are turning to simulation to reduce cost, time, and physical prototyping. Dynisma simulators now support:
- Vehicle Dynamics teams tuning suspension geometry, roll stiffness, and steering feel
- Ride & NVH teams assessing comfort, vibration, and harshness characteristics
- Tyre Development teams optimising compound selection and side wall stiffness
- ADAS & Autonomy teams testing active safety systems, lane-keep assist, braking systems, and software-defined driving behaviour
- HMI & UX teams simulating cabin layout, button placement, and digital interface usability
"OEMs can now do A/B testing with a click," Simon notes. "It’s fast, precise, and completely repeatable, with no weather variability or tyre degradation to compromise results.”
Motion that Feels Real: Why Perfect Correlation Matters
A key differentiator for Dynisma is motion quality - specifically low latency and high bandwidth delivered from primary motion.
"Legacy simulators feel overly smooth - like you’re driving on glass. That’s because they were originally developed from aviation platforms with high friction actuators," says Simon.
Dynisma’s DMG platforms achieve sub-5ms latency and over 100Hz bandwidth, enabling drivers to feel every vibration, bump, and change in surface in real time.
"Perfect correlation between what the driver sees, feels, and hears is critical — that’s what enables better feedback and better development decisions," Simon adds.
This realism prevents motion sickness, reduces the learning curve for new drivers, and makes Dynisma’s simulators accessible even to novices. "Drivers feel like they’re driving a real car. That’s how we build trust in the simulator."
From Track to Road: A Partnership with McLaren Automotive
In 2024, Dynisma was announced as the Official Motion Simulator Partner of McLaren Automotive. McLaren is using its Dynisma simulator to support the virtual development of next-generation supercars, including vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics, NVH, HMI, propulsion and control systems, ahead of real-world testing. A new case study will be released later in 2025, highlighting how the technology has contributed to the development of the highly anticipated W1 supercar.
"Our work with McLaren reflects how Dynisma’s technology enables faster, more efficient vehicle development through high-fidelity, driver-in-the-loop simulation," Simon says.
Built for Every Track: Digital Twins and 1:1 Cueing
Every Dynisma simulator integrates a digital twin of the real vehicle with 3D-mapped virtual roads or tracks, allowing the mathematical vehicle model to interact with the environment in real time, delivering unmatched realism and correlation.
Most circuits used by Dynisma customers are LiDAR-scanned, capturing surface textures, kerbs, and topographical irregularities with extreme fidelity. Combined with tyre modelling and high-bandwidth motion, the simulator reproduces what it feels like to drive on proving grounds like Millbrook or race circuits like Sebring, Spa, or Monaco.
"It’s not just what you see - it’s what you feel. We simulate the track surface at such high resolution that you’ll feel every bump and kerb, just like in a real car."
With DMG platforms offering up to 5m x 5m travel in X and Y and unlimited yaw, Dynisma simulators enable true one-to-one cueing. This means drivers can practice lane changes or emergency manoeuvres in a 1:1 scale, dramatically improving immersion and engineering accuracy.
Dynisma Motion Generator (DMG) Range
Dynisma offers a range of DMG products, from compact, high-performance simulators for motorsport teams to full-scale R&D platforms for OEMs requiring expansive motion travel. The DMG-1, DMG-X and DMG-360XY are designed for flexibility, performance, and engineering-grade fidelity and can be tailored for driver-in-the-loop, passenger-in-the-loop, or hardware-in-the-loop applications.
Safe, Repeatable, and Sustainable
Simulation also allows testing scenarios that would be too costly or dangerous in the real world:
- Driver fatigue and cognitive delay
- Aggressive vs cautious driving styles
- Motion sickness testing for passengers
- Sensor layout optimisation for LiDAR and camera configurations
- ADAS features like lane-keep assist and emergency braking
"It’s not just about driving. It's about safety, comfort, and validating UX for passengers, especially in autonomous vehicles."
The Power of Software Integration
Dynisma simulators are software agnostic. Customers can use their preferred toolchains for vehicle modelling, control logic, and visual rendering.
"We integrate with what our customers already use. That’s a big advantage - they don’t have to rip and replace their development stack to get the benefits of high-end simulation."
OEMs can run software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing alongside driver-in-the-loop for a fully integrated development process.
The Future of Simulation: Digital Twins and Real-Time Innovation
Looking ahead, simulation will be central to over-the-air updates, software-defined vehicles, and digital twins that evolve with the car.
"Simulation enables rapid iteration. You can validate updates, test edge cases, and deploy new features safely and sustainably, all before a real car hits the road."
From esports and mixed-reality interfaces to autonomous UX, Simon believes the virtual revolution has only just begun.
"Simulation is the engine behind faster, smarter and safer mobility."
Listen to the Full Podcast
You can listen to Simon's full conversation with SAE Tomorrow Today below:
About Dynisma
Dynisma is a UK-based technology company engineering world-class motion simulators for global automotive manufacturers and leading motorsport teams. Founded in 2017 by former Formula 1 engineer Ash Warne, Dynisma delivers turnkey, ultra-responsive systems that enable faster, more precise, and cost-efficient vehicle development.
At the core of its offering are patented Dynisma Motion Generators (DMGs) – high-fidelity motion platforms delivering sub-5ms latency and over 100Hz bandwidth from primary motion. Dynisma was the first to market with a simulator offering unlimited yaw capability, enabling OEMs to replicate real-world vehicle behaviour in a virtual environment and reduce reliance on physical prototypes.
Dynisma’s simulators are used across the full vehicle development lifecycle – from early concept to final sign-off – with core applications including vehicle dynamics, ride and NVH, HMI, ADAS, and autonomous system development. The technology is trusted by leading automotive OEMs and race teams competing in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula E, WEC and IMSA.
Operating from its Technology and Manufacturing Campus in Bristol, Dynisma’s team of over 130 engineers and specialists serve a global customer base.
Get in Touch
Want to learn more about how simulation can accelerate your vehicle development? Contact Simon Holloway to start the conversation.
