Simulations are among the most important development tools, particularly for autonomous systems where standards are high and challenges are daunting. For a simulation to succeed, it has to start with the sensor. This is where our custom iVESS solutions enter the picture. We count on iVESS to get the job done – as do our customers.
Short for individual virtual environment and sensor simulation, iVESS is a simulation technology-based framework developed specifically to verify and validate sensors in realistic 3D environments.
Vendors have to prove that their automotive products are indeed robust and safe. This requires untold kilometers of road testing. Without the ability to simulate driving scenarios in the virtual realm and stimulate the perceptive components of a system, automakers would find it very difficult – if not impossible – to deliver even rudimentary proof. New simulation technology is needed to model the infinitely diverse and vastly complex universe of driving situations.
Our iVESS solution features a powerful 3D engine. Serving as the backbone of our systems, it enables us to visualize countless environments regardless of domain and to simulate system components. It can generate any conceivable scenario.
We take advantage of gaming industry methods and tools to develop simulations in a domain-independent way to verify and validate of autonomous automotive, industrial, off-highway, agricultural, and maritime systems.
A driver and occupant monitoring simulation added to the virtual environment features highly customizable avatars, an infrared camera model, and the scenario’s ground-truth information. This infrared camera model calculates the image based on material parameters and their reflectivity of infrared light, as well as on adjusted camera settings.
This simulation uses custom rendering engines sourced from the gaming industry to deliver synthetic, low-level, and object-level sensor data. Standardized interfaces enable toolchain-independent integration for open- or closed-loop testing. Able to simulate different types of sensors such as radar, LiDAR, ultrasound, and cameras, this solution can even be adapted to real sensors.
Software simulations certainly benefit autonomous and assisted navigation use cases. They facilitate system design efforts and enable engineers to pinpoint the best spots for placing sensors. What’s more, sensor fusion algorithms can serve to create assistance functions to improve situational awareness. In this example, virtual sensors accelerate the development of systems to assist the navigation of ship entering a port. They also enhance maritime systems’ situational awareness.
Gaming meets automotive: Sensor data simulations based on computer graphics-related methods can serve to verify and validate highly automated vehicles.
The virtual environment imports GeoJSON data to reconstruct real tracks. A Scenario builder can be used to build own tracks and obstacles for different hazardous scenarios for man and machine. The radar- and camera sensor models deliver low level data for the development and the testing of perceptions algorithms used in automatic railway operation functions.
Early in the design phase, simulations can determine if the design fits the context of the environment in which it will be used. Designers can then reposition sensors or adapt the sensor technology fully to the given environment. This gives you a much better understanding of how your design interacts with the surroundings. iVESS enables you to visualize your system in a digital environment at the very beginning of the development effort. This way you can pinpoint potential problems and put your sensors’ positioning to the test even before you start prototyping.
During the development phase, it is often crucial to have realistic data available to test the algorithm rather than having to wait for readings taken in the real world. Data sourced from a simulation lets you test that much earlier, and even run your algorithm in a closed loop. This opens up great opportunities for analyzing and optimizing your system. Take advantage of the simulation’s output as input for your functions to accelerate development.
Simulations remain a tremendous asset even when you reach the end of the development cycle and transition your fully-fledged system to the test phase. They help you identify critical edge cases, which can then be addressed specifically by real tests. iVESS enables you to subject functional chains to closed-loop tests in this phase of development. And all this lightens your workload, leaving you with a lot less real-world measurements to take.
