Linked Real and Virtual Test Environment for Distributed C-ITS-Applications

The development and test of automated and connected driving, based on vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, is essential for C-ITS pilot implementations. Even today, the deployment and test of these services is a great challenge. Multiple connections, interfaces as well as interactions between several entities make it difficult to find and eliminate malfunction of cooperative components. The ranges and boundaries of drive and test scenarios make debugging during test drives in a real traffic environment substantially difficult, because it requires reproducible conditions. The solution of the above mentioned problem is a linked real and virtual test environment for distributed C-ITS-Applications under test. A microscopic simulation of traffic scenarios running on a test environment computer is combined with a real signal control device including traffic lights, real roadside unit and a real on-board unit for the communication between infrastructure (traffic lights) and vehicle (on-board unit). This hardware and software-in-the-loop (HiL/SiL) approach enables the use of reproducible drive and test scenarios for testing C-ITS-Applications based on an interaction of different traffic conditions, traffic light devices and vehicles.