This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast explores how artificial intelligence can be used to improve the aerodynamics of passenger cars and other vehicles. My guest is David Wheater, who is vice president automotive at UK and US-based PhysicsX.
An aeronautical engineer by training, Wheater spent much of his career using aerodynamics to improve the performance of Formula 1 racing cars for several F1 constructors.
Now, his focus is on using AI-based “large physics models” to improve the performance of mass-produced vehicles. This involves combining computational fluid dynamics simulations with wind-tunnel experiments and real-world testing. In this wide-ranging conversation, Wheater explains the need for high-quality training data and we also explore career opportunities for physicists in this multidisciplinary industry.
