Software integration specialist NI and technology company Konrad Technologies (KT) have entered a strategic agreement to develop test systems and solutions for autonomous driving software and hardware validation. The companies plan to deliver new technologies to help automotive Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs leverage real-world road data and simulation.
Due to AD requiring a complex mix of rapidly evolving technologies such as machine learning, lidar and imaging radar, the companies note that this requires test systems to adapt in tandem, in order to efficiently validate the complex embedded software required to operate autonomous vehicles (AVs) safely in real-world scenarios.
By combining NI’s software-connected test solutions with KT’s expertise in system integration and solution delivery for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) test, the two companies expect to streamline the testing validation process. While their plan is for the test solutions to scale across fleet management, data utilization and sensor tests, initial efforts will focus on high-bandwidth data recording and hardware-in-the-loop test systems for ADAS and AD software algorithms.
“AVs are among the most complex systems being tested today, and no one company can tackle the challenge of getting these vehicles to market alone,” said Chad Chesney, general manager of NI’s transportation business unit. “Our strategic agreement and a seat on the KT board will deepen our long-standing partnership with KT and give customers the system-level capabilities they need to quickly and efficiently test the complex embedded software found within today’s AVs —helping them ensure that test is not a bottleneck but a competitive advantage on the road to autonomy.”