Validating sensors and algorithms for applications of autonomous driving in extensive 3-D environments

Cooperation Between AVES Reality and dSPACE

Paderborn/Garmisch-Partenkirchen, March 14, 2023.

AVES Reality and dSPACE have entered into a technology partnership so that developers of autonomous vehicles can validate sensors and algorithms in virtual test drives in a range of realistic scenarios. AVES Reality provides synthetic environments for AURELION, the dSPACE sensor simulation solution, thereby extending the existing content provision.

Meaningful validation of AD functions and sensor simulations requires large three-dimensional environment models which contain realistic locations, materials, and semantics. AVES Reality processes satellite imaging with artificial intelligence and advanced video game technology, and it produces 3-D content on a large scale. AURELION uses the provided environments for camera, radar, and lidar simulation. In this manner, AURELION can use synthetic environments to validate algorithms for autonomous driving simulation applications.

“Our 3-D environments with a size of several square kilometers facilitate virtual test drives through entire cities on the basis of existing road networks and real spatial base data. Through the scalable and detailed simulation environments, development projects can be carried out virtually in a cost-effective manner with reduced risk,” explains Florian Albert, CEO of Aves Reality.

Thorsten Pueschl, Product Manager Scenarios at dSPACE, says: “Initial results from customer projects show that the large-scale imaging of entire districts from AVES Reality represent a significant added value for our customers and also optimally complement the dSPACE simulation solutions.”

The AURELION simulation software from dSPACE is used throughout all phases of the development process, for example, software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or scaled validation in the cloud. AURELION draws on an extensive library of sensor models. In this way, new sensors can be reproduced in simulation solutions long before they come to market. For this, dSPACE has entered into cooperative agreements with the world’s leading sensor manufacturers. There is also the option of integrating third-party sensor models.