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Automated Driving Simulator Creates Hardware-in-the-Loop Set-up for ADAS Development

July 27, 2021
aiMotive and NI collaborate to integrate NI Veristand with aiMotive’s automated driving simulator (aiSim) to create an end-to-end Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) set-up for automated driving systems for even the most complex sensor configurations.

Addressing real-time simulation of the entire end-to-end system, with all sensors modelled accurately in a realistic 3D environment, aiMotive and NI integrated NI Veristand with aiMotive’s AD simulator (aiSim). This creates an end-to-end HIL test set-up that models multiple high-definition cameras, with accurate physics, in real-time, with a frame rate time-synced with radar simulation. Features such as multi-node capability enables aiSim to distribute sensor simulation across multiple server nodes. In addition, aiSim’s sensor simulation engine, built on the Khronos Group’s Vulkan API, provides a single interface for all tasks required for the physics-based simulation of sensors, including cameras, LiDARs, radars, and ultrasonics.

Integrating NI Veristand allows the testing of ECUs or complete vehicles equipped with complex sensor set-ups, and alongside traditional HiL functions such as analyzing timing issues, can simulate sensor failures and perform fault injection testing, enable complex scenario-based verification, including perception in real-time environments for virtual validation.

“At NI, it is our goal to create a connected ADAS and AD validation workflow by bringing together people, ideas and technology to maximize product quality and speed up development. Therefore, it is necessary to connect the best solutions from agile subject matter experts like aiMotive up to IT infrastructure and cloud technology giants,” said Nicholas Keel, Offering Manager for ADAS Validation at NI.

“NI’s 40+ years of industry experience and their open attitude was key for us to be able to develop a state-of-the-art solution for central automated driving ECU testing,” said Szabolcs Jánky, Product Manager of aiSim. “We are sure that no one will be able to solve the complex problem of virtual validation alone – that’s why partnerships like ours with NI is vital to move the industry forward,” he added.  

About the Author

Alix Paultre | Editor-at-Large, Electronic Design

An Army veteran, Alix Paultre was a signals intelligence soldier on the East/West German border in the early ‘80s, and eventually wound up helping launch and run a publication on consumer electronics for the US military stationed in Europe. Alix first began in this industry in 1998 at Electronic Products magazine, and since then has worked for a variety of publications in the embedded electronic engineering space. Alix currently lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Also check out his YouTube watch-collecting channel, Talking Timepieces

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