ADAS Sensor Fusion Emulation with Synchronized 3D HiL Scenarios
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in autonomous vehicles struggle to verify proper sensor fusion operations across diverse real-world scenarios due to the impracticality and time-consuming nature of real-life testing, and current simulation tools face limitations in replicating complex scenarios and synchronizing multiple sensor inputs.
Innovation Solution
A hardware-in-loop (HiL) test system utilizing a 3D scenario simulator and sensor target emulator that generates synchronized emulated sensor inputs for radar, camera, and lidar sensors, employing ray tracing and real-time processing to simulate complex driving scenarios and synchronize sensor data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real-life testing of all driving scenarios is conducted, then comprehensive verification of sensor fusion and ADAS performance is achieved, but the testing time becomes excessively long (hundreds of thousands of hours) and practically infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of real-world driving scenarios through a 3D scenario simulator that generates synthetic environment data, including virtual objects, road layouts, and traffic conditions. This copying approach allows comprehensive scenario coverage without physical execution, reducing testing time from hundreds of thousands of hours to manageable durations while maintaining verification completeness through realistic virtual representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a sensor target emulator as an intermediary component that bridges the 3D scenario simulator and the actual sensors. This emulator translates virtual scenario data into emulated sensor inputs, enabling the testing system to evaluate sensor fusion performance without requiring real-world scenario execution, thus resolving the time-constraint problem while maintaining testing rigor.
2Reliability
If actual sensors are integrated into the test system for realistic behavior testing, then accurate sensor fusion verification is achieved, but the device complexity and cost of the test system increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of integrating complex actual sensors into the test system, the patent creates accurate virtual copies through the sensor target emulator. This emulator generates emulated sensor inputs that replicate the behavioral characteristics of real sensors under various conditions, maintaining testing accuracy while avoiding the complexity and cost of physical sensor integration in the test setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical sensor system with a software-based emulation system. The sensor target emulator uses computational models to replicate sensor behavior, substituting physical sensor hardware with virtual representations that achieve the same testing objectives without the associated complexity, cost, and maintenance requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive scenario coverage is achieved through real-life testing, then all relevant driving conditions are verified, but the testing process becomes impractical due to the sheer number of scenarios and time required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scenario generation through the 3D scenario simulator, which can automatically create and adapt driving scenarios based on predefined parameters, environmental conditions, and test objectives. This dynamic approach enables comprehensive scenario coverage including rare and edge cases without manual test design, significantly improving testing efficiency while maintaining high adaptability to different testing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary scenario planning and generation through the 3D scenario simulator before actual testing begins. The system pre-generates comprehensive scenario libraries covering all relevant driving conditions, allowing the physical testing phase to focus on execution rather than scenario design, thereby improving productivity while ensuring complete scenario coverage is achieved.
Data Source
AI summary
A hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test system is for testing sensor fusion of an advance driver assistance system (ADAS). The ADAS includes a plurality of sensors and an electronic control unit (ECU) processing outputs of the sensors. The HiL test system includes a three-dimensional (3D) scenario simulator for generating drive scenarios including objects in a surrounding environment of a simulated vehicle, and a sensor target emulator for generating emulated sensors inputs to the plurality of sensors corresponding to the drive scenarios generated by the 3D scenario simulator. The sensor target emulator is configured to synchronize the emulated sensor inputs by interpolating a current location of the objects from parameters extracted from the drive scenarios.