Even in the workshop before something breaks? This is exactly what Porsche plans to be able to offer its customers in the future. With the help of swarm intelligence, clever computer programs and learning effects, wear limits on the car are to be identified before something happens. For Porsche drivers, this should mean: Less hassle and always a safe vehicle in the yard. AUTO BILD explains how the Swabians want to use modern technology to make their models more puncture-proof and what a so-called “digital twin” has to do with it.
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In co-operation with
Especially with sports cars, the range of tasks extends from leisurely country road tours to chasing after the race track. Different parts of the vehicle such as the suspension, engine and transmission are also stressed to different degrees. Service intervals can therefore be set by the manufacturer, but they do not always take place at the right time, depending on the application. That can change in the future, because Porsche would like to make the maintenance of its vehicles more individual. This is made possible by a digital twin of the respective vehicle. Two cars are always delivered with him. A real car for the customer and a virtual one for the Porsche database. The digital clone is fed with the help of data that the actual sports car experiences on its kilometers on the road. This gives the Porsche engineers and the artificial intelligence of the system an overview of the condition of the vehicle. If values are outside the norm, a workshop appointment can be arranged before damage actually occurs.
The Taycan’s chassis is monitored during test operation, and other components are to follow later.
Porsche uses fleet data to determine risk
In addition to the vehicle data of your own car, the simulation also uses also data from other Porsche models on the road. In this way, deductions can also be made for your own vehicle and the forecasts for wear and maintenance become even more reliable. Particularly exciting: in the future, the system should also be able to monitor components for which there are no sensors at all. For this purpose, data from other components can show trends, which the system then combines to form a pattern. If, for example, the track of a model changes more than average after certain driving maneuvers, deviations at other sensors can indicate this.
Initially focus on Taycan chassis
With its digital twin, Porsche is initially concentrating primarily on chassis components, as these are exposed to particularly high loads in a sports car. The engineers have been working on the project for around three years, which is now part of the Volkswagen Group’s CARIAD program. The monitored component is specifically the air suspension of the Porsche Taycan. In the pilot project “Digital Chassis” in which around every second Taycan customer already takes part, primarily the body acceleration data is initially recorded, evaluated and transmitted to the central backend via Porsche Connect. If irregularities are found, a message appears in the infotainment display to have the Porsche checked in the workshop.
The system should go into series production from 2022. This means that the door is also open to other models.
The system should go into series production from 2022
The digital twin is still in the testing phase, The system should go into series production in 2022 and so be useful outside of maintenance intervals and workshop recommendations. The collected data could, for example, help to determine the residual value of a used car and thus create more transparency. An advantage, especially for high-priced vehicles such as Porsche models.
