Alternative drives and automated/autonomous vehicles are key topics in maritime transport. This is especially true for alternative drives, such as e-motors and hybrid drives. Both types of propulsion not only bring the great advantage of producing zero emissions; they are also quiet, can be monitored digitally, and are extremely cost-efficient in terms of maintenance and operating costs.
Among other things, autonomous vessels offer increased safety by means of collision avoidance. Likewise, personnel costs can be reduced to ensure competitiveness. In addition, new opportunities arise in inland shipping, for example, in the onward transport of goods from large seaports via canals to inland ports, which also prevents road congestion.
In addition, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication is an important factor in autonomous maritime transport as it makes transport as safe as possible: Ships communicate with each other, and also with the surrounding infrastructure. This also involves communication with the global navigation satellite system (GNSS).
To develop and test new or improved functionalities, dSPACE offers end-to-end solutions, from early simulation and a real proof of concept with rapid prototyping systems, to sensor data management, to subsequent testing with hardware in the loop (HIL).
Challenges of E-Mobility
The advancement of e-mobility in maritime transport is currently facing a range of challenges:
- The low range of e-drives has to improve.
- The charging times must be shorter.
- The effectiveness of alternative propulsion systems has to increase.
- The new types of propulsion have to become more independent of weather conditions.
Challenges of Autonomous Ships
Automated and autonomous navigation has to overcome the following challenges:
- The use of VR for control from land must also be possible at long distances.
- An automated identification system (AIS) has to be integrated.
- V2X communication must be expanded.
- Protection against cybercrime has to be ensured.
dSPACE Solutions for Marine Transport
With the dSPACE maritime development and test solutions, you can bring your systems to perfection. From innovative propulsion to highly automated or autonomous navigation -- We are eager to hear about your project. With us, you can get your innovations out to sea faster.
Rapid Prototyping
HIL Testing
Central Test Method for Validating ECUs
The dSPACE HIL test systems provide a simulated environment for efficient and reproducible validation of real ECUs in the laboratory 24/7. This increases test coverage and shortens validation times significantly. Our HIL solutions cover all vehicle domains from autonomous driving to zero emissions – starting with component testing and up to virtual vehicle testing.
Power HIL Testing
Closing the Gap Between HIL and Dynamometer Testing
With our power HIL systems, we offer ready-to-use solutions for testing any kind of inverter, including the controller and power electronics, at full power. Using real voltages and currents, our systems enable you to complete exceptionally rigorous tests. Our systems behave like a digital twin of the real system and allow for easy configuration with just a few clicks, which significantly reduces setup times.
Test Data Management
Data Management and Collaboration Software for Automated ECU Testing
SYNECT, our solution for the efficient and automated verification and validation of ECU software, helps engineers worldwide handle all test parameters, their dependencies, versions and variants, and the underlying requirements throughout the entire development process.
This results in consistent data versions and complete traceability as required in homologation processes, and an efficient reuse of data in other projects.
Data Replay
Validation of autonomous systems using recorded data
To ensure the safety of autonomous systems in the marine domain, the use of recorded real-world data is essential in certification and release strategies. This is because, unlike synthetic simulation data, the degree of fidelity of real-world data is indisputable.
Data Logging
Make data available faster and at lower cost
Real-world data is the most important resource for making autonomous mobility on the water safe. Our job is to enable your data acquisition systems to respond quickly to new iterations of training and validation, which in turn enables the shortest data cycles. To do this, we provide a comprehensive solution for flexible data recording, advanced data insight and integrated data entry.
Sensor Data Management
No volume of data is too large if you have an efficient data management tool
Powerful data management lets you centralize, store, search, filter, preview, post-process, and analyze your recorded data to build data-driven capabilities for on-the-water mobility applications. With dSPACE's sensor data management solution, you can quickly find what you are looking for in petabytes of data.
Development support from start to finish
Developing complex E/E systems and software with ever more safety-critical functions, especially in the area of autonomous systems, raises the question of guaranteeing function reliability. That's why dSPACE offers end-to-end expertise in functional safety, test strategy development as well as verification and validation in complex E/E processes - to support you from the earliest project stages to homologation.
dSPACE systems are easy to get up and running – however, if a project is more complex, if individual solutions are needed or if there is high time pressure, you can also trust dSPACE's fast, competent and reliable engineering services.
