DigiCAV project: Exploring a test-driven approach in the development of connected and autonomous vehicles

Testing validation of high-level autonomy features requires large amounts of test data, which conventionally is achieved by accumulating miles on the road and dedicated proving grounds. This places an extreme burden not only on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), but also on Tier 1 suppliers of CAV components, both in terms of cost and delivery time. To this end, multiple simulation platforms and techniques have emerged, such as hardware-in-the-loop testing methods, while the concept of co-simulation is gaining popularity as a more comprehensive solution for testing and validating CAVs. The aim of the DigiCAV project is to explore the feasibility of a co-simulation platform adopting a test-driven development approach for CAVs, by enabling a seamless testing and validation process across all stages of development, supporting a wide range of testing from model-in-the-loop of a CAV component all the way to vehicle-in-the-loop of a fully assembled vehicle on HORIBA MIRA's dedicated CAV proving ground test facilities. Furthermore, emphasis will be put on quality aspects such as testing accuracy, usability and protection of intellectual property rights. This paper introduces the DigiCAV project and disseminates results from its first deliverable focusing on capturing user requirements for the proposed simulation platform.