Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Vector offers comprehensive solutions for the various tasks involved in developing ADAS systems in the form of software and hardware tools and embedded components:

Measuring instruments to acquire sensor data
Checking and optimizing ECU functions
Software components
Algorithm design

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Advantages

Complete and universal ADAS tool chain consisting of tools, software components, algorithms framework and hardware
Quick development, debugging and testing of multisensor applications by integrating Visual Studio
Online and offline verification by overlaying objects on video and birds eye views
Playing back data from test drives in the laboratory
Quick ECU connection to acquire sensor data
Rapid prototyping (bypassing) for OEM-specific development
Support in developing data fusion in the framework of services by our partner BASELABS

Overview

What are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems?

Driver assistance systems (acronym: ADAS) are electronic compenents in vehicles. They do the following:

Assist the driver
Enhance safety
Improve convenience and economy

A crucial factor for success is full detection of the car's surroundings with all relevant objects. This includes reliably predicting how a traffic scenario will develop. Different sensors acquire the vehicle's surroundings, and the sensor data is then analyzed and merged in the ECUs.

Challenges in the development of ADAS

Large quantities of data from different sensors such as radar, lidar, ultrasonic, laser and video-based systems must be visualized and validated. Fundamental tasks in ADAS development are:

Developing multisensor applications
Sensor data fusion
Design of probabilistic algorithms
Integrating image processing
Automated evaluation of large quantities of data
Object validation
Quick access to internal ECU data
Integrating ECUs into a network

Technical Article with Useful Know-How

Graphic: car with five different suppliers and five logging systems for ADAS sensor data

Example of an ADAS Level 3 setup with sensors from five different suppliers and five logging systems

Data Recording for ADAS Development

The automotive industry is working extremely hard on technologies for autonomous driving. To replace human perception of the environment, the use of driver assistance systems with high-resolution radar and video sensors is essential. Massive quantities of data that need to both be transported via the communication networks as well as processed in real-time are thereby generated. This creates challenges in an unprecedented dimension on recorder solutions as well. When selecting a suitable system, a number of important aspects must therefore be taken into account.

By using recorder solutions with consistently scalable architecture, developers of driver assistance systems obtain very flexible systems that can be expanded to a nearly unlimited extent. The data rates of 500 to 700 MByte/s required in current autonomous driving projects for the storing of radar, video and ECU data can still be managed at the present time with just a single PC. As requirements increase, investment security is ensured by the VX1000 hardware – which can be used for both ECUs as well as for raw sensor data – and by the scalability of the complete solution.

The complex hardware and software environment for autonomous driving raises the question of how release processes for this systems can be designed.

Combining Forces for ADAS Testing – Skillful Use of the Toolbox

When heading at full speed into the new ADAS world, it is better if there is no risk to any of the parties involved. How do we handle the current IT paradigm change in a way that makes the testing of all the functions truly reliable? Do we need more complex or completely different tools? Or would the skillful use of existing tools be a suitable approach?

Case Study

Graphic Model-in-the-Loop test system for automated evaluation of driver assistance functions

Model-in-the-Loop test system for automated evaluation of driver assistance functions (schematic)

Virtual Model-In-The-Loop Test for the Development of Driver Assistance Systems

Due to the ever-increasing complexity of driver assistance functions, combined with the integration and fusion of different sensors, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of those systems as early as possible in the development cycle. Ideally, this is done automatically and already during the modeling phase. If vehicle dynamics influences the detection performance of the sensor system, or limiting cases need to be taken into account, the test system also needs to be able to test the Device Under Test (DUT) in a closed-loop. Having appropriate, application-specific metrics – especially for the validation of data fusion – is another requirement. The case study shows a solution based on tools from TASS, BASELABS and Vector.

The Challenge: Evaluating data fusion and driving functions early in the development cycle

The Solution: Automated testing of the models of algorithms and functions in virtual environments

The Advantages: Early objective evaluation of driver assistance functions and data fusion by means of complex virtual scenarios

Tools & Hardware

The following products from Vector assist you in validating object data and testing image processing algorithms:

CANape	This measurement and calibration tool lets you acquire sensor and ECU data, optimize an algorithm and stimulate real or virtual ECUs.
CANape Driver Assistance	This optional CANape extension lets you verify the results of the ADAS algorithms. Detected objects from the vehicle are shown from a bird's eye perspective and superimposed on the video image.
vADASdeveloper	vADASdeveloper provides an infrastructure for developing algorithms for advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving. The tool reduces your workload in developing sensor data fusion applications.
BASELABS Create Embedded	Algorithm framework for the data fusion of camera, radar and LiDAR and the efficient development of data fusion applications for series production. BASELABS Create Embedded enables dynamic object fusion for automated driving functions – from prototyping to series production.
VX1000	This measurement and calibration hardware utilizes the standardized XCP-on-Ethernet protocol for high-performance data transfer between the ECU's controller interface and the PC.

Embedded Software

In the area of embedded software, the MICROSAR product gives you a complete solution for basic software according to AUTOSAR. The following MICROSAR functions and properties are especially relevant to ADAS projects:

Ethernet	MICROSAR ETH gives you an AUTOSAR-based communications stack for exchanging data in automotive Ethernet networks. MICROSAR.ETH provides the necessary functionalities and flexibility for new types of ADAS applications.
AVB	You can use MICROSAR AVB to transfer your Ethernet-based audio and video data that is necessary for assistance systems.
Safety	The extensive lineup of MICROSAR Safe products lets you implement safety-related applications according to ISO 26262.
Security	Protect your applications against external attacks with MICROSAR Security. In Car2x radio communications, you can use the cryptographic algorithms it contains – such as Message Injection and Man-In-The-Middle Attacks.
Time synchronization	MICROSAR SYS lets you time-synchronize distributed applications on a wide variety of networks (CAN, FlexRay, Ethernet). For instance, a common time base makes it possible to merge measurement data from different sources.