SimuSens

Different light situations, such as sunrise or oncoming traffic glare, can cause impairments in driver assistance systems. These adverse illumination conditions interfere with optical sensors, like camera or LiDAR, and subsequently cause system failures or incorrect activities of the assistance systems. For example, overexposed camera images cause objects such as pedestrians to be detected incorrectly or not at all, drastically increasing the potential for accidents.

In order to validate optical sensors of driver assistance and safety systems for safe automated driving simply and efficiently, a standardized test system is being developed in the SimuSens project. Using controllable LED matrices, it should be possible to quickly simulate different optical interference sources realistically and thus to check and optimize the sensors in a time-saving process. The analysis and derivation of the parameters as well as their verification of the simulation is performed using a test portfolio based on real measurement data.

For this purpose, glare and interference sources, in particular sunlight at different times of the day or weather conditions, are to be identified and investigated initially. Furthermore, traffic-based sources of noise, such as headlights in oncoming traffic, will be investigated. To do this, measurements are done on CARISSMA's own indoor and outdoor areas. Subsequently, a system consisting of suitable light sources with variable light intensity and different spectral components will be developed on this basis. A large test stand is being developed, which has an electric drive and is intended for research and development, as well as a reduced version for use in workshops, for example to test cameras after replacing windshields.