Virtual and Real Testing of Products

Abstract

Real and virtual testing are instruments that are used extensively in the product development cycle esspecially as a result of the fact that the hardware and software computer performances evolved significantly in the last decades. The reduced product development times and increased efficiency (accuracy and reliability) of testing the real product prototypes (fig. 1) are the main advantages of these technologies. Due to the more and more increasing demand and market constraints related to time and efficiency, which are exerted during the development stage of the product, new trends have appeared to cut down the time needed to develop a new product prototype. These new methods usually suppose the combination of testing with simulation even on the design stage of product. Thus, the new hybrid methods can gain from the shorter time simulation needed and from the increased efficiency of the testing in obtaining a new viable product prototype 1, 2. Figure 1 presents the curves that indicate the time and efficiency obtained in the classic cases (curve 1), with only physical prototype testing, and currently cases (curve 2), when only virtual prototype computer simulation are used to develop a new product.