Networked Driving Simulation for Future Autonomous and Cooperative Vehicle Systems

In networked driving simulation, two or more human drivers interact in a common virtual environment and form a much closer approximation of real-world traffic with its unpredictability. This paper presents the structure of a modular platform for networked driving simulation based on the IEEE standard High-level architecture (HLA). The platform serves as a virtual prototyping tool for development, test, and training purposes with respect to future autonomous and connected vehicle systems. Two driving simulators, a traffic simulator, a data logger, and a central station represent the primary components of the developed platform. A simulation model of an autonomous driving system was utilized and a group of test persons was involved to show the usability and validity of the developed platform.