Simulation

Bristol Robotics Lab (BRL) have led on simulation, enabling the rapid development and roll out of the automated driving systems.

BRL built a "Digital Twin" - a virtual representation of the entire CAVForth route, complete with landmarks and all the traffic lights, signs and road markings. BRL also built a digital model of the physical bus, which can be controlled by a real CAVstar automated drive system. Instead of its usual sensor inputs, this CAVstar unit takes its inputs from the simulator. This enables engineers to setup many scenarios to test how the CAVstar system will behave in the real world should it encounter those situations. This approach has two key benefits:

• it enables testing of a much larger number and wider range of scenarios than would be possible by physical testing alone
• it is possible to setup and simulate hazardous scenarios that would be too dangerous to test in the real world

BRL is a joint venture between the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England.