Cranfield University has opened a new off-road dynamics facility (ORD) at its Silsoe site in Bedfordshire.

The £1.5 million facility was developed by the National Soil Resources Institute (NSRI) to study the relationship between machines and the soil environment in controlled conditions. It was officially opened by Richard Parry-Jones CBE, vice president and chief technical officer at Ford Motor Company.

"Simulating extreme off-road environments will help to evaluate any machine that interacts with soil, from rally cars and agricultural machines, to tillage trains and aircraft tyres," said Professor Dick Godwin, head of the Engineering Group, NSRI.

“The lab is designed to help industry build vehicles and equipment that optimise their performance,” he added.