Simulation brings speed and scale to AV development

Putting autonomous vehicles (AVs) on the road will require a mammoth effort to test, validate and optimise an array of complex systems. Virtual test beds promise to shorten development cycles and lower costs, and so the simulation arena continues to expand.

There are several elements that have brought simulation to the fore. The first is speed. It is quicker and easier to run dangerous, expensive or time-consuming scenarios in a virtual world than in a physical environment. Then there is the element of repeatability. Conditions in the real world will not always be exactly the same, but in a simulation they can be. In addition, it is possible to test individual systems in isolation—which is proving useful for sensor developers.

A number of recent innovations were presented at Nvidia’s annual GTC, with a spotlight on AV simulation in particular.

Diverse applications

The use of simulation across various industries is surging. That’s according to Masanobu Horie, Chief Research Officer, Research Institute for Computational Science Co., Ltd., who noted