GPU Technology Helps Volkswagen Create Eye-Catching Vehicle Designs

Thanks to GPUs, practical vehicle design doesn’t have to be boring. Last month, Volkswagen used the latest in simulation and compute technologies to tailor its design process for both fuel efficiency and style. Striking the elusive balance between form and function called for a collaborative effort. Altair, a global technology company, developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver using NVIDIA GPUs running on Amazon Web Services’ cloud, allowing the automaker to test the aerodynamics of vehicle designs in simulation. With a GPU-based system, Volkswagen could save up to 70 percent of its hardware costs, according to Altair. And it could execute design cycles in a fraction of the time it currently takes to simulate and measure aerodynamics.