When the world’s fastest autonomous race cars take to the starting line at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Friday (September 6), the 10 university teams of the Indy Autonomous Challenge will begin a new chapter in the development of their vehicle controllers. From now on, the university teams can use the extended functionality of dSPACE’s software-in-the-loop (SIL) solutions and use the cloud racing services to race virtually against other teams at any time. With the SIL simulations from dSPACE, the racing teams can further develop their AI drivers on virtual racetracks to make the cars faster, safer and more reliable.
dSPACE, a leading provider of simulation and validation solutions, expanded its partnership with the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) at the beginning of the year and has since been supporting the university racing teams not only with onboard computers, but also with simulation software, training and support. As the software-in-the-loop technology sponsor of the IAC, dSPACE provides the teams with the simulation solution Simphera – a powerful framework that includes simulation models, test automation, test analysis and a simulation platform and can integrate additional components such as HIL simulators. The virtual test environments for desktop and cloud use offer teams access to all components of the individually configurable framework. For example, components of the open simulation models can be replaced by their own models.
In the run-up to the race, dSPACE had set up the simulation solution for the teams, which provides a digital twin of the IAC race cars and models of the Indianapolis racetrack and made it available for desktop use. Just in time for the Indianapolis race, dSPACE has now given the green light for the next level of simulation: with the cloud racing services, teams can arrange virtual races alongside the races on the racetracks and compete against each other with different setups or send several of their own virtual vehicles with different setups onto the virtual test track.
“With the extended range of functions, the teams are able to test their AI driver software in the cloud comprehensively and quickly,” said Raimund Sprick, senior manager automated driving and software solutions at dSPACE.
Paul Mitchell, chairman and president of the IAC, added, “By integrating dSPACE’s advanced Simphera software-in-the-loop solutions, our teams can now leverage virtual environments to refine and validate their AI algorithms with remarkable accuracy and speed. This initiative not only accelerates the iterative testing cycle but also enriches the knowledge transfer between simulated environments to practical applications, ensuring that our competitors are at the forefront of safe and efficient autonomous systems.”
dSPACE has been the exclusive on-vehicle computer technology sponsor for two years and provides the onboard computers for the IAC. Every IAC race car runs with the dSPACE Autera AutoBox. The robust and powerful central computer reads data from lidar and radar sensors and cameras as well as from buses and networks in the vehicle, processes it, and provides real-time controls and commands for fully autonomous racing cars.
Visitors to the IAC race will see dSPACE demonstrate the Simphera software-in-the-loop solution, its cloud racing services and the Autera central computer in the Innovation Paddock at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition, on the morning of September 6, Vivek Mogdal, vice president sales at dSPACE, will join other experts on a panel titled ‘SIM to REAL – The Metaverse Meets Reality’ to discuss how simulation solutions and machine learning can help improve real-world outcomes.