dSPACE Introduces High-Fidelity Vehicle Dynamics Simulation on NVIDIA DRIVE Sim

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When it comes to autonomous vehicle simulation testing, every detail must be on point.

With its high-fidelity automotive simulation model (ASM) on NVIDIA DRIVE Sim, global automotive supplier dSPACE is helping developers keep virtual self-driving true to the real world. By combining the modularity and openness of the DRIVE Sim simulation software platform with highly accurate vehicle models like dSPACE’s, every minor aspect of an AV can be thoroughly recreated, tested and validated.

The dSPACE ASM vehicle dynamics model makes it possible to simulate elements of the car — suspension, tires, brakes — all the way to the full vehicle powertrain and its interaction with the electronic control units that power actions such as steering, braking and acceleration.

As the world continues to work from home, simulation has become an even more crucial tool in autonomous vehicle development. However, to be effective, it must be able to translate to real-world driving.

dSPACE’s modeling capabilities are key to understanding vehicle behavior in diverse conditions, enabling the exhaustive and high-fidelity testing required for safe self-driving deployment.

Detailed Validation

High-fidelity simulation is more than just a realistic-looking car driving in a recreated traffic scenario. It means in any given situation, the simulated vehicle will behave just as a real vehicle driving in the real world would.

If an autonomous vehicle suddenly brakes on a wet road, there are a range of forces that affect how and where the vehicle stops. It could slide further than intended or fishtail, depending on the weather and road conditions. These possibilities require the ability to simulate dynamics such as friction and yaw, or the way the vehicle moves vertically.

The dSPACE ASM vehicle dynamics model includes these factors, which can then be compared with a real vehicle in the same scenario. It also tests how the same model acts in different simulation environments, ensuring consistency with both on-road driving and virtual fleet testing.

A Comprehensive and Diverse Platform

The NVIDIA DRIVE Sim platform taps into the computing horsepower of NVIDIA RTX GPUs to deliver a revolutionary, scalable, cloud-based computing platform, capable of generating billions of qualified miles for autonomous vehicle testing.

It’s open, meaning both users and partners can incorporate their own models in simulation for comprehensive and diverse driving scenarios.

dSPACE chose to integrate its vehicle dynamics ASM with DRIVE Sim due to its ability to scale for a wide range of testing conditions. When running on the NVIDIA DRIVE Constellation platform, it can perform both software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, which includes the in-vehicle AV computer controlling the vehicle in the simulation process. dSPACE’s broad expertise and long track-record in hardware-in-the-loop simulation make for a seamless implementation of ASM on DRIVE Constellation.