dSPACE and Spirent Announce Partnership for Enhanced Autonomous Driving Test Solutions

dSPACE and Spirent Communications plc have entered into a technology partnership, aiming to enhance the realism of real-time positioning scenarios in Autonomous Driving Hardware-in-the-Loop (AD-HIL) test systems. This collaboration is a significant stride in expediting the development and market deployment of autonomous driving technologies.

Building on a foundation of previous cooperation, this partnership integrates dSPACE’s leading AD-HIL systems with Spirent’s high-fidelity GSS7000 global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) simulator. This integration enables developers to validate autonomous driving systems in critical location-based scenarios using real satellite signals. By offering a comprehensive, pre-integrated solution from a single source, the partnership aims to assure consistent performance and speed up the development process.

The precision and latency of GNSS-enabled systems are becoming increasingly vital, particularly in the context of higher levels of driving automation (SAE Levels of Driving Automation™ at or beyond Level 3). To address these challenges, the GSS7000 simulator, known for its high fidelity RF signal generation and low latency response, will work alongside dSPACE’s AD-HIL, which already includes radar, camera, lidar, and ultrasonic sensor simulation interfaces. This integration is crucial for validating driver assistance algorithms and represents a key element in the future digital homologation of autonomous vehicles. Additionally, the partnership allows for the validation of jamming and spoofing scenarios as part of security-relevant functional tests for autonomous platforms, with Spirent’s SimHIL software interface ensuring effective communication between each partner’s systems.

Dr. Herbert Schuette, Executive Vice President at dSPACE, commented on the partnership, saying, “By seamlessly integrating Spirent’s high-resolution GNSS simulators into the dSPACE test solutions, we enable our customers to achieve comprehensive validation of autonomous driving applications, increasing safety and precision through integration of positioning data.”

Adam Price, Spirent’s Vice President of PNT Simulation, also expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We are very excited to be partnering with dSPACE as a leader in the automotive test industry. Our complementary portfolios are focused on quality, accuracy, and reliability, and together they provide compelling solutions to ensure that the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles will be tested to the level of efficiency and safety that the industry demands.”

This partnership signifies a major advancement in the field of autonomous driving testing, aiming to meet the growing demand for efficient and safe testing solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles.