WATERLOO – A researcher at the University of Waterloo has been awarded $1million to work with software and automotive partners on a better way to design cars.

John McPhee, executive director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), has been named NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft Industrial Research Chair in Mathematics-Based Modelling and Design. Over the next five years, he will work with software developers at Maplesoft and engineers at Toyota on a faster, and thus better, approach to designing automobiles.

“The support we are receiving from our three partners will speed up what’s known as the ‘model-based design’ of new products, an approach being embraced by the auto industry as it strives to be more efficient and responsive to consumer demands,” explains McPhee. “We are partnering with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Toyota and Maplesoft to advance this approach, which will ultimately result in better cars built in Canada.”

Current engineering design uses computer models to explore different product concepts and evaluate performance. Unfortunately, most existing models are numerical, hiding the physics behind reams of data. A more natural approach involves mathematical theory and computer algorithms to create engineering models that can be easily viewed and shared between colleagues.

As chair holder, McPhee will collaborate with computer experts at Maplesoft and engineers at Toyota to develop math-based models and computer simulations, with a focus on automotive applications such as vehicle dynamics, mechatronic powertrains and hybrid electric vehicles. They will develop special model-reduction methods to run computer simulations more quickly, which is crucial to designing on-board computers that control everything from the engine performance to the vehicle stability.

The models, along with hardware-in-the-loop testing, can identify key variables in a system in real time. This results in fewer expensive tests and prototypes, and helps engineers find the best possible design.

NSERC is today announcing that it is providing $1-million over the next five years to establish the Chair.

“At NSERC, we want to make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators,” said NSERC president Suzanne Fortier. “The Industrial Research Chairs program helps us achieve that vision. Dr. McPhee exemplifies the high level of excellence we expect from our Chairs. He has shown great leadership. He has cultivated and established solid relationships with industry. And he has shown that he can solve difficult problems.”

As an industry partner, Toyota is contributing two Lexus vehicles and, most importantly, its time and engineering expertise to the project. The company is looking to reduce the usual two-year design time and produce vehicles that better respond to consumer demands.

As an industry partner, Maplesoft will provide its new MapleSim modelling and simulation software, and dedicated math experts who will work closely with McPhee to develop the next generation of software tools for engineering design.

About the University of Waterloo
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 28,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs across six faculties. Waterloo, home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery.

About NSERC
NSERC is a federal agency that invests in excellent Canadian science and technology. NSERC promotes discovery by supporting some 26,500 university students and postdoctoral fellows and more than 11,800 university professors every year. NSERC also fosters innovation by working with 1,400 Canadian companies that participate and invest in postsecondary research.