Driving Simulator: Revolutionizing Vehicle Development with FERAL

Explore the transformative potential of our co-simulation framework FERAL with our Driving Simulator as an example. This innovative application demonstrates how our technology can streamline the development process for automotive technologies, particularly in the areas of autonomous functionality and system integration.

FERAL allows integrating heterogeneous simulation tools into a comprehensive, unified simulation environment. This capability is essential for developing complex systems such as autonomous vehicles and enabling various subsystems to interact harmoniously, thereby reducing development time and enhancing reliability.

The Driving Simulator, which was developed in collaboration with industry leaders such as aSR and CADFEM, showcases the practical application of our co-simulation technology. It serves as a powerful example of how our framework facilitates the creation of virtual testbeds that are both detailed and effective.

The Driving Simulator exemplifies the sophisticated application of our co-simulation technology in a complex automotive testing environment. It uses the CARLA simulator to create detailed models of the environment and of vehicle physics, thereby providing a realistic basis for simulations that closely mimic real-world scenarios. The advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) functions developed in collaboration with CADFEM are integrated to support the development of safer and more efficient vehicles.

Further enhancing the simulator’s capabilities, Fraunhofer IESE has developed an extensive suite of tools, including an analytics dashboard, and uses the FERAL co-simulation framework for the seamless integration of disparate simulation components, a state-of-the-art infotainment system, and vehicle network models featuring a simulated CAN bus.

The hardware, which is crucial for the realistic operation of the simulator, is provided by aSR, ensuring high fidelity and responsiveness. The orchestration of the different simulation components through a simulated CAN bus managed by the FERAL framework demonstrates the framework’s ability to handle complex data flows and system interactions effectively.

Adding to the robustness of the testing environment, a configurable FERAL fault injector introduces noisy data and bus load injections to the CAN bus. This feature is vital for assessing the resilience of networked vehicle systems against data corruption and overload scenarios. The simulator supports not only automated test runs for efficiency and consistency, but also manual tests, allowing engineers to take the driver's seat and directly experience the vehicle’s behavior and the system responses under simulated conditions.

In the Driving Simulator, our technology enables the virtual validation and verification of autonomous driving functions for Level 2 and Level 3 automation. It integrates diverse models – from Ansys SCADE to Python scripts and the CARLA simulator – demonstrating the framework's adaptability in terms of supporting complex simulation needs.

The technology extends beyond autonomous driving to include testing and validation of infotainment systems. By simulating realistic network communication protocols like CAN, Ethernet, and 5G, the framework ensures that all in-vehicle systems are rigorously tested under realistic conditions, enhancing both functionality and user experience.

A unique aspect of the simulator is its use of fault injection to test system robustness. This feature introduces controlled faults into the network bus, enabling developers to evaluate and improve the fault tolerance of their systems, which is vital for ensuring safety and reliability in final products.

FERAL is a pivotal technology that empowers automotive developers to exceed current limitations in vehicle design and functionality. The Driving Simulator exemplifies how this technology can be employed to achieve outstanding results in complex simulation scenarios, propelling your development processes into a new era of efficiency and innovation.