Construction hurdles with Renault Group's latest expansive driving simulation setup

Developing a groundbreaking simulator with extraordinary real-time capabilities for an automobile manufacturer.

, and Administrator

2025 September 18 . 9:16 AM

2 min read

Renault Group's New Massive Driving Simulator: Overcoming Construction Obstacles

Construction hurdles with Renault Group's latest expansive driving simulation setup

Renault Group Unveils Groundbreaking ROADS Simulator

After a year of construction and overcoming numerous challenges, Renault Group has successfully completed the ROADS (Real Open Air Driving Simulator) project, a large-scale initiative aimed at creating an exceptional tool for producing next-generation vehicles.

The heart of the ROADS simulator is a trio of major elements: an immersive dome, a hexapod, and a rolling steel structure, known as the gantry. The gantry, the largest part of the simulator, measures an impressive 28 meters in length, 4 meters in width, and weighs a hefty 12 tons.

Transporting the gantry proved to be a challenging task, taking five days to travel 533 kilometers by road at a slow speed of 15 km/h. The slab for the simulator is an exceptional structure, 1.5 meters thick, resting on a network of 55 concrete pillars, each one meter in diameter, that extend 30 meters deep. This slab provides an ultra-stable area of nearly 1,400 m2 (35 x 39 meters) for the simulator to exert its dynamic forces.

Another challenge was the construction of the slab, which required specific rigidity to ensure dynamic performance. The water and electrical supplies for the cabinets had to be redirected above a glass bay, more than 6 meters high. Initially, the electrical cabinets were planned near the transformers and air conditioning system, but the layout had to be adapted to respect the maximum lengths of communication cables.

The ROADS simulator is equipped with an innovative energy recovery system that recovers and stores energy lost during deceleration and braking phases. This energy is reused during the simulator's acceleration phases, contributing to its efficiency. The electrical power supply for the simulator required a large number of electrical cabinets and an adaptation of the electrical and water supplies.

The carbon fiber dome arrived in pieces due to its size and was assembled on-site. The first movement of the dome occurred in April 2021, symbolizing the potential of the new giant simulator. A new building was constructed at the Technocentre in Guyancourt to accommodate the ROADS simulator. The building construction was completed in September 2020.

Serge Diop, the project manager, expressed great personal satisfaction in bringing the project to completion. He stated that Renault Group now has an exceptional tool for producing next-generation vehicles. The ROADS simulator is designed to be at the forefront of technology in terms of acceleration and immersion.

Despite the challenges faced during the ROADS project, it was completed with innovative solutions and great tenacity. However, the name of the engineer who supervised the completion of the ROADS construction remains unknown.