Maplesoft and Toyota are joining forces with the University of Waterloo, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to form a partnership to produce new methods for modelling physical systems.
The Industrial Research Chair is being granted to Dr John McPhee, from the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and executive director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR).
Current engineering practices create computer models that are numerical in nature, to explore different design concepts and evaluate their performance. A more natural way to model a system is to use mathematics, and the main goal of this research is to develop the theory and computer algorithms necessary to automatically create engineering models in a mathematical form. This will speed up the model-based development approach for new products, an approach that is being pioneered by Maplesoft, and embraced by the automotive industry as it strives to become more efficient and responsive to consumer demands.
McPhee and his team will collaborate with experts at Maplesoft and Toyota to develop these math-based models and computer simulations, with a focus on automotive applications such as vehicle dynamics, powertrains, and hybrid electric vehicles. With symbolic computation at its core, Maplesoft was among the first companies to realise the impact that mathematics-based modelling will have on vehicular research. With MapleSim aiding multi-domain modelling, it will play a crucial role in the research which aims to enhance the development of multi-domain system models comprising mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and other components.