AImotive has launched aiSim 3.0, the next generation of the world’s first ISO26262-certified simulator for the development and validation of ADAS and AD systems. aiSim 3.0 brings multi-node and multi-client capability together with physics-based sensor simulation enabling high and measurable correlations between virtual and real-world testing from large-scale software-in-the-loop testing to real-time environments.
Multi-client support allows several ego vehicles or multi-ECU control systems to be placed in the same virtual environment to test interactions between numerous automated vehicles or system components. The multi-node feature enables the distribution of sensor simulation to multiple computers to simulate physics-based models efficiently, even for the most complex sensor setups during real-time, hardware-in-the-loop testing.
The aiSim 3.0 sensor simulation framework builds on the Khronos Group’s Vulkan API to improve multi-GPU raytracing performance. Vulkan creates a transparent pipeline for the physically based simulation of various sensor modalities (cameras, radars, lidars) and efficiently shares tasks between available GPU resources. Since Vulkan is an open standard, aiSim runs from the cheapest notebook to the largest cloud cluster on all compatible systems, regardless of the manufacturer.
Test automation and manual test execution for forensics analysis are equally important during virtual validation. The recent release of aiSim provides an intuitive user experience, enhancing the usability of existing features, such as creating scenarios, sensor setups, changing the weather and environment, and analyzing results from a single unified interface. Its flexible architecture and open APIs ease its integration into continuous development – continuous integration pipelines providing native support for both on-site or in-cloud deployments.
“Virtual validation is the key for the mass deployment of AD features. After aiSim 2.0 became the world’s first ISO26262, ASIL-D-certified simulator, with aiSim 3.0, we have created the next generation to support the entire automotive development process. It brings fidelity, automation and efficiency to any virtual validation and verification toolchain,” concluded Szabolcs Jánky, aiSim product manager at AImotive.