The vast number of driving situations that automated vehicles need testing for is set to give simulation a key role in the approval process. To highlight its position as the leading independent testing organization in the development of autonomous driving, TÜV SÜD is teaming up with U.S. chip manufacturer NVIDIA Corporation and the Austrian developer of drive systems AVL to work on validating simulation as a vehicle certification method.

"Using technical means to ensure automated driving functions are executed accurately, reliably and safely is one of the greatest challenges in the homologation and approval of autonomous vehicles," says Patrick Fruth, Head of the Mobility Division at TÜV SÜD. Underlining the pivotal role that TÜV SÜD plays in this respect, Fruth adds: "TÜV SÜD has always been a guarantor of safety - and will remain so in the future. We look forward to pulling together with NVIDIA and AVL in the name of safeguarding tomorrow's mobility and creating a solid framework for approval processes." Simulation is destined to play a key role alongside conventional road tests in the future. After all, vehicles must react correctly and reliably in every conceivable driving situation - and the experts at TÜV SÜD estimate that each fully automated driving function comprises 100 million such situations. According to the collaboration partners, such an enormous number of scenarios makes scalable verification and testing methods absolutely crucial, which is why they are teaming up to validate and establish simulation as an approval tool. "Together, we are tackling the issue of what digital homologation might look like in the future and how it can be implemented," says Dr. Houssem Abdellatif, Global Head Autonomous Driving at TÜV SÜD. The companies plan to apply their findings as early as the vehicle development phase. In Abdellatif's words: "Injecting these advances at an early a stage as possible not only boosts efficiency, but also ensures that driving functions will always demonstrably comply with regulatory requirements from the outset."

TÜV SÜD AG (80686 Munich, Germany)
Website: www.tuev-sued.de/en