ACOSAR - Advanced Co-simulation Open System Architecture​

Virtual system development (“frontloading”) is becoming more and more important in a wide range of industrial domains to reduce development times, costs and time to market. Co-simulation is a particularly promising approach for interactive, modular development. However, coupling and integrating real-time systems into simulation environments (especially distributed HIL systems and simulations) still requires enormous effort. The aim of ACOSAR is to develop both a non-proprietary Advanced Co-simulation Interface (ACI) for the integration of real-time systems and an appropriate integration method, which will be a substantial contribution to international standardization (FMI). The results of ACOSAR will lead to a modular, more flexible as well as shorter system development process for numerous industrial domains and will enable the establishment of new business models.

For more information, refer to the project website.

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AGILE-VT - Harmonizing the Test Environment

The aim of the BMWE research project AGILE-VT is to establish vertical and horizontal continuity of test processes to optimize functional testing of aircraft. The first level of continuity focuses on the interoperability in the vertical and horizontal connection of test environments. To achieve this, test preparation and test execution are optimized to a degree so that they can be ported to different test environments – at a much lower effort than today. The second level of continuity focuses on the interoperability in the test development and design support during test preparation. To this end, test case creation is optimized so that test cases can be exchanged among different test departments via a common standard. In addition, more results of the test process can be reused because they can be prepared and proposed to the test engineer for design support. Both groups of technical goals aim to achieve continuity and will ensure interoperability in the functional tests of aircraft. 


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DUETT - Hybrid Vehicles in Physical and Virtual Environments

This research project aims at optimizing diesel hybrid drives and the operating strategy with a new development method that lets developers analyze different hybrid drives for passenger cars with a view to compliance with future RDE legislation. For this, the vehicle is connected to other traffic participants in a virtual environment. 

For more information, refer to the project website.


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EMPHYSIS - Embedded Systems with Physical Models in Production Code Software​

The main goal of the project is to develop a new standard: eFMI (FMI for embedded systems). The standard is designed to exchange physics-based models between modeling and simulation environments and software development environments for electronic control units (ECU), microcontrollers, and other embedded systems. Advanced control and diagnostics functions based on physical models allow for enhancing the production code in automotive vehicles and reducing the cost and time for the software development of the embedded systems. 

For more information, refer to the project website.


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HiFi-Elements – High Fidelity Electric Modelling and Testing

The aim of HiFi-Elements is to implement a seamless workflow that links extended versions of existing tools — a model/data management tool and a co-simulation tool for MIL and HIL environments — augmented with effort-saving automated methods for model parameterization and test case generation. A standardization of functional model interfaces for common e-drive components will also be proposed for the workflow. The proposed standard is intended to define model boundaries, signals, and data particulars to improve consistency and allow for a seamless use of models in the development process. The validation of standardized models and workflows will be performed in four industry-relevant use cases of common scenarios in e-drivetrain and EV development. After project completion, the interface recommendations and workflow methods will be distributed in order to achieve widespread adoption in the EV industry. 

For more information, refer to the project website.


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Hy-Nets - Efficient Hybrid Propulsion using Vehicular Communication

Hy-Nets evaluates a new approach for increasing the resource and energy efficiency of connected hybrid vehicles: In the test bay, a hybrid drive is connected to an environment to simulate the vehicle, the vehicle environment, the traffic flow, and vehicle communication. This makes it possible to measure the effects of realistic, connected traffic scenarios on real hybrid drives and evaluate the interaction with the environment in terms of energy consumption and capacity utilization of the traffic infrastructure. The project uses the city of Paderborn as an example.

For more information, refer to the project website.


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iFUSE - Intelligent Fusion of Radar and Video Sensors for Complex Scenarios of Highly Automated Driving

The main limiting factor for the overall behavior of a driver assistance system and future functions for automated driving is the performance of environment detection. The requirements for sensors (usually video and radar sensors), sensor data fusion, and the derived perception become stricter with a growing degree of automation. Higher, reliable detection rates with fail-safe functioning are part of the challenge. iFUSE strives to develop a new method for sensor data fusion that allows for the positioning of heterogeneous sensor information on grid maps down to the pixel level. This will mean a quantum leap for innovation in terms of redundancy, detection rate, system robustness, and system performance. The innovative sensor concept is intended to be implemented on scalable hardware platforms while meeting real-time requirements. The implementation will also include design analyses on a highly integrated ASIC circuit. In particular, the project considers new concepts for combining data from different sources (radar, video, and lidar if applicable) on hierarchical, easily extensible processor architectures and will set up a prototype. The real-time requirements, memory management, and the connections between the individual components pose particular challenges. A complex driving scenario with an intersection will be used for verification.

For more information, refer to the project website.

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The research project KI Data Tooling develops and investigates methods and tools for the provisioning of data of different sensor modalities (camera, lidar, radar) for AI-based automated driving functions. Through the integrated consideration of real data and synthetic data as well as the use of efficiency potentials in their combination, the project is the first to develop a comprehensive data solution for the training and validation of AI-based automated driving functions.

A sound data base comprising various sensor modalities is essential for the successful implementation of AI-based functions in vehicles. So far, however, only isolated solutions exist for the data of individual sensor types, highly restricted scenarios or parts of the  training and evaluation chain.

In the project KI Data Tooling, real, synthetic and augmented data of different sensor modalities will be generated. Methods for analysis, quality assessment, and efficient and resource-saving storage and transmission of this data will be developed. Based on these methods and data, an optimised AI training strategy will be created.

As a project partner, dSPACE contributes its know-how, especially in the generation and quality assessment of synthetic data.

KI Data Tooling is a project in the KI Familie of the VDA Leitinitiative autonomous and connected driving supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

For more information see ki-datatooling.de

MISSION - Modeling and Simulation Tools for Systems Integration on Aircraft

The aim of MISSION is to develop and demonstrate an integrated modeling, simulation, design and optimization framework that incorporates model-based systems engineering (MBSE) principles of the aerospace industry. This framework will support all design, development and validation processes involved in aircraft development: from conceptual aircraft-level design, to key requirement specification, system design, software design and integration, up to validation and verification. In order to achieve this goal, MISSION will set up a core modeling and simulation environment, primarily based on the Modelica language for modeling multi-physics systems. The modeling environment incorporates dedicated platforms and toolsets for aircraft-level design and optimization, system-level design and optimization, model-based controls, and virtual testing.


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SafeMove - System validation of vehicle radars with wireless technology

The goal of SafeMove is to set up and analyze a validation environment that enables reliable and reproducible tests of the in-vehicle radar- and camera-based sensor systems for environment detection. Therefore, the project develops tools for modeling the propagation of radar signals and combines them with a system capable of simulating realistic radar targets. The radar signal model and radar target simulator are immersed in a virtual wireless environment together with the vehicle radar under test. This chain of effects allows for testing and evaluating the vehicle sensors contact-free and under realistic operating conditions. This new technique can be used to develop standardized tests, which can considerably reduce the need for real test drives.

For more information, refer to the project website.


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SET Level: Simulation-based development and testing for autonomous driving

The SET Level project deals with simulation-based testing for autonomous vehicles. This endeavor is based on the PEGASUS Project, expanding on the existing methods and approaches to include urban space. Thanks to the extensive use of simulation tools, it is possible to perform early and cost-effective testing.

In SET Level, dSPACE is working on various subprojects to realize the vision of autonomous driving even sooner. dSPACE is able to contribute its expertise on analyzing requirements, simulation-based testing, developing models, and instantiating tool chains, while also supporting the consortium with its proficiency in software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.

Furthermore, dSPACE has made its VEOS integration and simulation platform available for the project, along with ModelDesk for modeling scenarios and ModelDesk for 3-D animation. dSPACE plays an active role in a wide range of different project-related standardization committees, such as FMI, SSP, OSI, OpenDrive, and OpenScenario, and is helping implement the standards into ADAS/AD tool chains in the project.

For more information, refer to the project website.

V&V Methods: Verification and validation methods for autonomous vehicles in urban environments

AI-based vehicle systems are confronted with an infinite number of possible traffic situations. This raises the question of how to prove that fully automated and autonomous systems can handle these situations safely without fail. Supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, 23 renowned partners from industry and the research community are working together to develop legally compliant, time-saving, and cost-effective verification and validation methods over a period of four years. The V&V Methods project delivers essential innovations at the interface between virtual and real tests based on the example of an urban crossroads as a complex use case.

At more than 25%, validation and testing account for a significant share of the total value generated by fully automated and autonomous mobility technology. In the foreseeable future, the first automobile manufacturers and suppliers to master the corresponding processes within the framework of the legal requirements will secure a competitive advantage.

For more information, refer to the project website.

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