MORAI, the first Korean company to have independently developed a full-stack self-driving simulation solution which includes a core simulation engine, is showing off the capabilities of its simulation platform MORAI SIM at CES 2023.
The platform helps users verify vehicles and systems by establishing a virtual environment, digitally simulating everything from complex physical conditions to weather and even lighting changes. In the case of self-driving automobiles, MORAI SIM provides a simulation environment identical to reality and a virtual platform that includes sensors, vehicle models and scenarios to enable verification that ensures reliability and safety of the self-driving systems. Scenario tests that cannot be conducted on the road, such as tests that evaluate risk of pedestrian collision, can be repeated many times on the virtual platform.
MORAI has now advanced its autonomous driving simulator solution to be used for a variety of unmanned vehicles – including aircraft, robots, vessels, and unmanned ground vehicles – in verifying the safety of their systems.
“Next-generation mobility innovations such as UAM, unmanned robots and vessels are rapidly progressing,” said Jiwon Jung, CEO of MORAI. “Simulation has been drawing attention as a major breakthrough technology to promote mobility innovation as it can quickly, safely and cost-effectively verify the safety and functionality of autonomous driving systems. We plan to share MORAI’s innovative technologies and vision at CES 2023 in addition to strengthening our partnership with global partners.”
For instance, MORAI SIM Robotics, designed for robotics applications, supports verifying autonomous mobile robots (AMR) in a virtual environment. The solution offers modeling of different types of robots, such as walking robots and manipulators, in addition to wheel-type moving robots, and applies different dynamics to express realistic movements within the virtual simulator environment. It also replicates the same environments in which AMR can be driven, from indoors such as factories and buildings to outdoor pedestrian roads. Through this application, users can configure the environment and scenario as needed to verify their AMR.
MORAI also offers MORAI SIM AIR, the simulation solution for next-generation aviation mobility, such as urban air mobility (UAM) and drones, to verify the systems’ safety in a virtual environment. By simulating various flight environments that can occur in real-life during UAM operations, it allows users to verify the safety of the aircraft and prevent dangerous situations in advance.
MORAI has enhanced the functionality of the traffic control system. MORAI SIM Traffic, a digital twin-based control system, supports precise traffic control by implementing the same traffic environment as reality in a virtual environment. The system displays autonomous vehicles on the road, as well as connected vehicles, pedestrians, and infrastructure information in real time in the 3D environment, allowing the overall traffic flow to be visualized and analyzed. By reflecting the traffic volume information collected in real time, it will be possible to analyze the effect of traffic flow on autonomous and connected vehicles. On the other hand, it will also be possible to verify and analyze how these vehicles have an impact on the overall traffic flow.
MORAI supplies industry, research organizations, and universities with autonomous driving simulation solutions. Its key customers include Hyundai Motor Company, Samsung Engineering, Naver Labs, Korea Automobile Testing & Research Institute, and Korea Automotive Technology Institute. Last February, the company raised US$23m through Series B funding round with investors such as Korea Investment Partners, KB Investment and Korea Development Bank.