NVIDIA has unveiled its latest initiative aimed at transforming digitalisation across various industries with the introduction of the Omniverse™ Blueprint. This innovative framework is designed to empower software developers to create dynamic, real-time digital twins in sectors as diverse as aerospace, automotive, energy, and manufacturing.

The incorporation of NVIDIA’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and physics technologies within the Omniverse Blueprint promises significant advancements in computer-aided engineering (CAE), with the potential to drastically cut costs and speed up the time to market for new products. Industry leaders including Altair, Ansys, Cadence, and Siemens are actively integrating this pioneering technology into their existing workflows. By leveraging the capabilities of the blueprint, these companies aim to optimise design processes, reduce energy consumption, and enhance simulation speeds—reportedly achieving simulations that are 1,200 times faster than traditional methods.

NVIDIA's founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, articulated the vision behind this initiative, stating, “We built Omniverse so that everything can have a digital twin. Omniverse Blueprints are reference pipelines that connect NVIDIA Omniverse with AI technologies, enabling leading CAE software developers to build ground-breaking digital twin workflows that will transform industrial digitalisation, from design and manufacturing to operations, for the world’s largest industries.”

One notable application of the Omniverse Blueprint is its potential in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, a critical aspect of designing vehicles such as cars, airplanes, and ships. These traditionally time-intensive workflows can take several weeks or even months to complete. However, with the introduction of the Omniverse Blueprint, speeds are set to change dramatically.

During the SC24 event, NVIDIA, in collaboration with Luminary Cloud, showcased a pioneering virtual wind tunnel. This tool allows for real-time simulations of fluid dynamics, affording engineers the ability to visualise and modify vehicle models during the simulation process. Such technological advancements may significantly accelerate the CAE exploration phase, enabling faster iterations and improved design efficacy.

The underpinning technology of the Omniverse Blueprint is composed of several components that enable the real-time physics required for effective digital twins. These include:

  • NVIDIA CUDA-X™ Libraries, which enhance the performance of physics solvers,
  • NVIDIA Modulus Physics-AI Framework, designed to train AI models that generate accurate flow fields,
  • NVIDIA Omniverse APIs, which provide interoperability for 3D data and enable real-time visualisation.

Developers have the flexibility to incorporate these components individually or as a complete package within existing software tools, thereby unlocking new potentials for digital twin applications.

Ansys has emerged as a leader in applying the Omniverse Blueprint to its Fluent fluid simulation software. Operating on 320 NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, Ansys has demonstrated the capability to handle a 2.5-billion-cell automotive simulation in just over six hours—a task that would have taken almost a month with conventional x86 CPU cores. Ajei Gopal, president and CEO of Ansys, remarked, “By integrating NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint with Ansys software, we’re enabling our customers to tackle increasingly complex and detailed simulations more quickly and accurately.”

Similarly, Luminary Cloud is leveraging the Omniverse's potential through a simulation AI model that learns the relationship between airflow fields and automotive geometry. This model facilitates simulations that are exponentially faster than those managed by traditional solvers and can be visualised using NVIDIA Omniverse APIs.

The expansive capabilities of the blueprint are garnering interest from other major players, including Hexagon, Trane Technologies, and Siemens, who are exploring its application in enhancing simulation processes and refining workflows. In addition, Rescale, a cloud platform for scientific and engineering applications, is integrating the Omniverse Blueprint to improve AI model training and deployment efficiency.

A particular advantage of the Omniverse Blueprint is its compatibility with leading cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. This compatibility allows organisations and developers to access and implement the technology from various infrastructures, including NVIDIA DGX™ Cloud.

Looking ahead, the Omniverse Blueprint signifies more than mere technological progress; it stands as a potential turning point for industries that rely heavily on CAE. With its ability to accelerate simulation times and provide real-time visualisation, the blueprint has the potential to redefine product design, testing, and market introduction processes. The implications of reduced energy consumption and increased innovation are vast, further highlighting the transformative nature of NVIDIA's latest offering.

As adoption of the Omniverse Blueprint expands, industries may witness vast possibilities in digital twins and real-time engineering applications. NVIDIA’s ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology positions them at the forefront of reshaping various sectors on a global scale.

Source: Noah Wire Services