Development and implementation of generic cross-domain environment for ADAS projects

The automotive industry works as a mirror of today’s society innovation: as the latter evolves, the former keeps developing, generating countless cutting-edge technologies. Among these myriad of advancements, one domain stands out as the vanguard of safety and efficiency: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. These breaking-through systems have already redefined the landscape of modern driving and will keep revolutionizing the field thanks to pioneering sensors, artificial intelligence and groundbreaking designs. As the world propels towards an automated future, the importance of ADAS features cannot be overstated. Beyond contributing to rendering life easier and more efficient, these technologies can tirelessly monitor drivers, mitigating accidents number and entity, saving lives, and overall improving the driving experience. From Adaptive Cruise Control to Lane-Keeping assistance, from Automated Emergency Braking to pedestrian detection, each ADAS feature represents a crucial milestone in the pursuit of safer roads and smarter vehicles. Of course, development and acceptance of this mobility assistance and automation depend strongly on two points: reliable technical solutions and people’s trust. BEG and several of other vehicle engineering companies are working hard on both these topics to make sure that an always increasing number of vehicles on the roads meet the highest requirements and make drivers feel safe in every situation. However, before the efficacy and safety of ADAS features are assessed through real-world testing in actual ECUs and vehicles, their development usually follows various steps, in general referred to as “V model”, a style of software development that will be thoroughly described in the second chapter. Moreover, virtualization and simulation of ADAS features are essential to allow automotive engineers to develop ADAS features and iterate through design variations more effectively than traditional physical prototyping methods. Speaking of ADAS features, the ability to simulate and validate them in a virtual environment is proven to have a posivite effect in accelerating the overall development timeline. Indeed, engineers can quickly identify design flaws, performance bottlenecks, and integration issues early in the development phase. This early detection minimizes the need for costly redesigns and delays, allowing manufacturers to bring new ADAS-equipped vehicles to market faster. Virtual simulation allows engineers to validate ADAS features against regulatory requirements early in the design process, according to the fact that meeting stringent regulatory standards and safety certifications is crucial for automotive manufacturers. Nonetheless, this proactive approach ensures that vehicles comply with safety standards (ISO 26262, NCAP, SOTIF) before physical prototypes are built, reducing compliance risks and potential delays during certification.