The short-distance wireless system and embedded system developer and distributor OTSL has announced a new 3D real-time millimeter-wave radar simulator for autonomous driving, dubbed AMMWR2 (Advanced Millimeter Wave Radar Simulator 2). The simulator will be displayed for the first time at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo (21-23 June, 2022) in Stuttgart.
Since introducing AMMWR to market in 2017 as the world’s first sensor simulator software for autonomous driving that enables dynamic real-time simulation, OTSL has continued to invest aggressively in its development. This has culminated in the launch of AMMWR2, which is planned to be marketed worldwide by the end of this year to automotive manufacturers and system supply manufacturers involved in developing, designing and producing vehicle sensors, as well as semiconductor manufacturers developing sensor devices.
“With the global advance in application of autonomous driving, expectations are growing for advanced simulation technology capable of creating a virtual reproduction of all kinds of driving conditions and verifying and validating safety and accuracy. However, the current autonomous driving vehicle has only Level 2 or Level 3 functions under the SAE International standards,” said Shoji Hatano, CEO, OTSL and OTSL Germany.
“In order to achieve fully autonomous driving via system monitoring, Level 5 of the standards, it is essential to include simulation of potential accidents caused by electronic device defect and sensor failures. AMMWR2, announced on June 17, is the only millimeter-wave radar sensor simulator that covers from the electronic device level, including semiconductors and sensors, to the autonomous driving (AD) and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) simulation domain.”
AMMWR2 uses the ray-tracing method found more commonly in the optics simulation field combined with unique reflection/diffraction models, applying a dedicated three-dimensional computer-generated map from Unreal Engine 4 (Epic Games) for the implementation of reflection and diffraction models of roads, roadside trees, streetlights, traffic signals, signs, and others to achieve real-time simulation of dynamic objects.
Thanks to the ability to develop original measurement methods and create reflection models from data obtained by these measurements, it is possible to accurately simulate how radio waves from radar are reflected, taking into account the shapes and materials of vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signals, signs and other objects. Thanks to a strengthened partnership with Coside, a SystemC AMS design and simulation tool from Coseda Technologies for semiconductors, an environment can be created in which simulation can be performed entirely in software without the need for any hardware, such as sensors, electronic control units (ECUs), or even the vehicle itself.
AMMWR2 will be introduced at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo, to be held on June 21-23, 2022, in Stuttgart, Germany.