Conference Program


Developments in connectivity, mapping and positioning

The emerging importance of connected mobility for safety on roads

Thomas Jäger
Senior vice president
DEKRA
Germany
The presentation will cover the latest updates on road safety issues (DEKRA yearly road safety reports, global issues, vehicle type impacts); the latest V2x connectivity technology developments, deployments and related safety improvements; the latest regulatory and certification situation (EU, US and others); the latest updates on testing requirements for connected and automated driving; the most recent developments in regional and global interest groups; and the challenges and outlook.

ESA's LEO-PNT mission: revolutionizing GNSS

Florin Grec
LEO-PNT mission and experimentation engineer
European Space Agency
Netherlands
In this presentation, we explore the European Space Agency's innovative Low-Earth Orbit PNT initiative, a project poised to significantly enhance GNSS systems. Particularly relevant to the automotive community, this development promises improved accuracy and reliability over traditional GNSS. By harnessing the closer proximity of low Earth orbit (LEO), the ESA's program aims to offer rapid, precise PNT data, crucial for the future of autonomous and connected vehicles. This presentation delves into the technical advancements, potential applications and the transformative impact of LEO-PNT on automotive navigation technologies.

Opportunities and challenges of integrating V2X in ADAS

Jens Buttgereit
Product owner
Vector Informatik GmbH
Germany
The integration of V2X communication into modern ADAS offers significant advantages and eliminates the limitations of traditional sensors. This enables improved perception of the environment and significantly increases safety. However, the challenges in integrating V2X communication into modern ADAS are manifold: the interoperability requires industry-wide accepted standards, sensor fusion algorithms additionally need to integrate and interpret another sensor, and an effective test and validation system is crucial to ensure the reliability and performance of these systems at all stages of development. This presentation provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges of V2X integration in ADAS.

10:15 - 10:15

Break

The pathway to fully connected services

Suku Phull
Technical specialist
The Department for Transport
UK
Intelligent transport systems (ITS) have evolved over the last 20 years from simple traffic signals, traffic detectors and signs operated by human operators into interconnected systems connecting and interfacing more directly to individual users with increasing levels of automated control through the emergence of connected and automated vehicle technologies. These more recent developments are intended to enable data sharing between systems to deliver a wide range of transportation-related socioeconomic benefits; within Europe these are generally termed ‘cooperative ITS’ (C-ITS) services and embrace infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. This paper will provide an overview of global activities.

Advancing autonomous driving through ADAS and V2X communication

Khaled Alomari
Manager for connected vehicles
MHP, a Porsche company
Germany
This presentation explores the intersection of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, illuminating the transformative impact of connectivity in autonomous driving. The benefits of this symbiotic relationship are explored, emphasizing improved safety, enhanced traffic efficiency and rapid response to dynamic road conditions. Key ADAS functions are scrutinized in the context of real-time data exchange, situational awareness and predictive analytics enabled by V2X connectivity. Real-world case studies underscore successful applications of V2X in ADAS, showcasing tangible positive impacts on safety and operational efficiency. The presentation concludes with a forward-looking perspective, envisioning the future potential of ADAS with V2X.

11:05 - 12:20

Lunch

Advanced simulation and HIL testing

Unlocking the future: harnessing the power of digital twins

Ahmed Yousif
System simulation expert/simulation and HIL team leader
Valeo Detection Systems
Germany
In this presentation, we delve into the transformative potential of digital twins driven by advanced simulation technologies. Digital twins – virtual replicas of physical objects or systems – have become game-changers in various industries. We explore how simulation allows us to create highly accurate and dynamic digital twins, offering real-time insights into product performance, predictive maintenance and design optimization. By bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds, digital twins enable informed decision making, reduced costs and enhanced efficiency.

Real-time testing of automated driving functions using parallelization

Martin Herrmann
Application expert ADAS & AV
IPG Automotive GmbH
Germany
Autonomous driving functions can no longer be validated solely in the real world, as critical edge cases are rare and dangerous. HIL simulation technologies bridge the gap between simulation and in-vehicle testing. However, the complexity of autonomous vehicles, number of sensors and ever-increasing data rates pose new challenges for HIL simulation. A possible approach is prototypically demonstrated with the implementation of two parallelization concepts based on specific use cases: CPU-based calculations on multiple real-time systems and parallelized sensor simulation on multiple GPUs, allowing arbitrary scalability of the number of sensors as well as the integration of additional models and systems.

Enhancing autonomous vehicle development through simulation with aiSim

Dániel Tósoki
Product director, aiSim,
aiMotive
Hungary
Explore the critical role of perception simulation in developing safe and reliable autonomous vehicles. This keynote offers an in-depth look at aiMotive's aiSim and its capabilities in simulating real-world sensor data to train and validate perception systems. Learn how aiSim empowers engineers to create highly realistic and challenging scenarios for perception algorithms, ensuring they are prepared for complex road environments. Discover the impact of perception simulation on accelerating the development of AI-driven perception in self-driving technology.

Best practices for the development, acceleration and safe deployment of ADAS & AV technologies

Navigating challenges in autonomous driving data acquisition

Adrian Bertl
Strategic product manager
b-plus technologies GmbH
Germany
This presentation delves into pivotal challenges faced by sensor and vehicle manufacturers in autonomous driving data acquisition. Focusing on data protection and confidentiality, it spans issues related to navigating sensitive data and enabling collaboration with external entities right from the beginning. Addressing data quality concerns, essential inputs for AI model training including tool requirements for compression, sensor synchronization and quality control of annotated data are covered. Emphasizing the importance of a diverse set of scenarios, tool requirements for selective data recording are outlined. Lastly, the presentation delves into the process aspects, covering the infrastructure for managing large scale data acquisition.

The significance of iterative understanding of ML data sets

Tommy Johansson
Perception expert
Kognic
Sweden
Machine learning (ML) models are only as good as the data sets they are trained on. The quality of the data set plays a pivotal role in determining the performance and reliability of the resulting models. However, achieving high-quality data sets is not a one-time task; it requires an iterative process of understanding, assessing and refining data to enhance model performance continually. This presentation delves into the critical role of iteratively assessing data set quality concerning model performance in the realm of machine learning, focusing on ADAS/AD use cases.

Accelerating the safe deployment of autonomous trucks

Dr Maximilian Köper
Senior engineering manager
Torc Robotics
Germany
Dr Holger Banzhaf
Managing Director
DeepScenario GmbH
Germany
Deploying safe autonomous trucks requires a deep understanding of real-world driving. A key part of this process is the collection and analysis of traffic data to derive requirements, test cases and statistical distributions for safety validation. In this joint presentation, we give insights into DeepScenario’s collaboration with Torc Robotics to accelerate the safe deployment of autonomous trucks. At the core of the solution are stationary cameras combined with DeepScenario’s AI software, providing Torc with unparalleled data collection capabilities at critical locations. This allows Torc to significantly increase the efficiency of scenario mining and advance the safety of its autonomous trucks.

Bridging Scale and Differentiation in Autonomous Driving

Nimrod Brickman
VP business development
Mobileye
Israel
The aspirations of automakers to create hands-off systems tailored to their brand identity face challenges from the practical business imperatives of timely market entry and cost-effectiveness. Striking a delicate balance between achieving scale and delivering customization requires a nuanced interplay involving perception, driving policy, and control, alongside a dynamic collaboration between supplier and carmaker. This presentation by Mobileye VP of Business Development Nimrod Brickman will discuss the complexities of designing for differentiation in hands-off driving and remaining challenges on the path from development to commercialization. Nimrod will discuss the paradigm shift that Mobileye DXP is fueling by enabling automakers to retain control of the driver experience through a new programming language that strategically splits the stack into universal and unique components.

10:40 - 11:10

Break

Validation of interior cameras in synthetic environments

Wolfgang Stolzmann
Director
Luxoft
Germany
Advanced driver distraction warning (ADDW) is mandatory from 2024. Besides this and other safety functions, interior cameras can be used for extended user experience and improved passive safety and well-being. For occupant monitoring systems (OMS), this means that a vast range of new features will be introduced in the upcoming years. Therefore, Luxoft has further developed its OMS virtual validation toolchain. This presentation will cover corner cases for OMS validation as well as typical test scenarios for KPI analysis. It will present a database of virtual videos together with perfect ground truth (GT) data and apply it to a prototype device under test.

Moving from ADAS to HDAS – humanized driver assistance systems

Raunaq Bose
CTO
Humanising Autonomy
UK
ADAS and AV technologies have so far had limited success in areas with high numbers of vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians and cyclists. The current approach is much too focused on the 'physics' of the situation (relative distances, velocities and accelerations of VRUs), which does not reflect the reality of interactions and negotiations between vehicles and VRUs. Developing ADAS and AV technologies focused on the behavior of VRUs, on top of their physics, is key for the widespread adoption of ADAS. This presentation will outline the performance and user benefits of a humanized driver assistance system (HDAS).

Optimizing safe stop trajectories: synthesizing algorithms for autonomous vehicles

Kai Wah Chan
Software developer
TOPAS Industriemathematik Innovation gGmbH
Germany
In the realm of autonomous driving, ensuring a secure and seamless halt is imperative across diverse scenarios, ranging from routine stops at traffic lights to critical situations involving navigation failures or communication errors. This presentation unveils a novel methodology for swiftly calculating safe stop trajectories. The approach harmonizes machine learning tools with classical algorithms rooted in optimization and optimal control theory. Notably, it harnesses the underutilized feasibility correction method, leveraging parametric sensitivity analysis to significantly expedite computation. This research contributes a nuanced perspective to the pursuit of enhancing safety and efficiency in autonomous vehicle systems.

12:25 - 13:55

Lunch

Development, test, deployment and evaluation of sensors.

Transforming vehicle manufacturing: redefining sensor selection processes through cloud technology

Danny Atsmon
CEO & founder
Cognata
Israel
The Automated Driving Perception Hub (ADPH) is a joint venture between Cognata, Microsoft and AMD, providing an end-to-end solution for selecting sensor packages with confidence and efficiency. It combines Cognata’s ADAS simulation software, Microsoft’s Azure cloud, AMD GPUs and sensor models supported by suppliers. The presentation will address the complexities of selecting a sensor suite for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, offering a solution to help impede innovation and reduce costs. The platform enables engineers to run virtual tests and analyze sensor package alternatives, producing a cost/performance analysis in a matter of days instead of weeks.

Quantifying AV sensor performance during adverse weather conditions

Andre Burgess
Assured Autonomy Progamme lead
National Physical Laboratory
UK
NPL and the Met Office have been undertaking a project funded by the UK Department for Transport to develop the methodological framework required to reliably evaluate how well automotive sensors used within self-driving vehicles perform in different weather-related conditions. When developed, this framework will be used to allow for the testing of AV sensors as part of the assurance process as well as aiding in the safety assurance process to determine the limits in which these vehicles may operate (operational design domains). This presentation considers what is required to demonstrate the performance of CAV sensors to support system developers, regulatory approval and authorization processes.

Flexible HIL helps technology providers accelerate CI/CD capabilities

Gordan Galic
Technical marketing director
Xylon
Croatia
Nowadays automated vehicles have 10+ cameras, multiple radar, lidar and other sensors. A diverse approach to simulation is a strategic need for ADAS platform providers. Technology providers adopting HIL-based resimulation together with cloud-native SW capabilities have a more complete approach. HIL platforms must leverage big data and enable fast feedback to developers. The presentation will explain how to stay ahead of new HW requirements with the futureproof HIL platform that grows with users’ needs. Typical HIL validation challenges and their solutions will be presented based on Qualcomm’s use of Xylon’s HIL system in the development and validation of Snapdragon Ride Vision.

15:15 - 15:45

Break

Lab-based homologation of SAE Level 3 vehicles using multisensor simulation

Gregor Sievers
Product manager
dSpace GmbH
Germany
Efficient homologation of SAE Level 3 vehicles requires testing and validation of software and hardware systems in the lab. This results in new challenges and requirements compared to traditional testing such as the simulation of validated sensor raw data with the highest timing accuracy. This presentation offers a comprehensive end-to-end test architecture for the verification of Level 3 functions in a controlled lab environment. This includes the simulation of dozens of sensors simultaneously in real time and highly synchronized. The presentation covers sensor simulation for camera, radar, lidar and ultrasonic sensors, as well as all automotive bus interfaces and V2X and GNSS/GPS.

Advanced In-Cabin safety and comfort with new hybrid image sensors

Lutz Hoestermann
Technical Marketing Manager Automotive Imaging
STMicroelectronics
Germany
While actual Drive-Monitoring-Systems promise greater road safety by assessing driver alertness and ability to drive, the next-generation on the way to autonomous cars are sensors that monitors the full vehicle interior covering both the driver and all passengers. At the same time new applications will be enabled, like safety-belt checks, vital-sign monitoring, child-left detection and high-quality video/picture recording. The presentation will show how this innovative sensor can enable a “one camera” system which integrate both infrared and HDR color images and solves development pain points, thus generating a cost-efficient solution and at the same time bringing added value to customers.

New Тendencies in LIDAR Technology for Autonomous Vehicles

Valeriy Savelyev
Chief Science Officer
Integrated Quantum Photonics
USA
The current state of development of autonomous vehicle technology requires a critical analysis of the requirements and key elements of autonomous driving systems, in particular, visualization systems. The report focuses on emerging trends in LIDAR technology to improve performance in autonomous vehicles. The new trends are flash principles of LiDAR with fast responce, optical systems for laser beam distribution, in particular diffraction optics, a new method of obtaining information in the format of a visual camera with distance information (possibly in color), which makes it possible to analyze information based on AI without the stage of spatial reconstruction, and others. This provides also advanced engineering solutions, such as absence of mechanical parts, miniaturisation, power consumption and other.