Best Practice User Story: Collaboration between AVES Reality and a Leading German Automotive Manufacturer in the Field of Antenna and OTA Simulation

Introduction
The automotive industry constantly faces new challenges, particularly in the field of connectivity and the associated antenna and Over-the-Air (OTA) simulation. To meet these growing demands and develop innovative solutions, AVES Reality and a leading German automotive manufacturer have joined forces. By leveraging AVES Reality’s advanced technology, a new dimension in antenna and OTA simulation has been achieved. In this best practice user story, we highlight the successful collaboration and the technologies employed.

Project Objectives and Requirements
The automotive manufacturer was seeking a solution to efficiently and accurately create environmental scenarios for its simulations of radio signal propagation and OTA performance in large urban areas. These scenarios needed to include topography, buildings, roads, tunnels, bridges, and vegetation. Traditional methods proved too time-consuming and imprecise to meet the complex demands of modern vehicle technologies. The goal was to generate a simulatable street map and 3D environment that would provide detailed and realistic data to analyze both radio signal propagation and OTA performance in various scenarios.

AVES Reality Technology
AVES Reality brought its expertise in satellite image processing and geodata to the project. The input data used had a sub-meter resolution. With AVES Reality’s AI-based technology, it was possible to generate highly detailed, simulatable street maps and 3D environments from these data. The focus was on the efficient and rapid creation of large-scale environments up to 25 km² while ensuring a high level of detail to meet the automotive manufacturer’s requirements. Specifically for OTA simulation, environments were created to accurately reflect real-world physical conditions such as reflections, scattering, and attenuation.

Implementation and Integration
The first step was to collect satellite images and geodata and convert them into a format suitable for simulation. AVES Reality used advanced algorithms and machine learning to process the data and transform it into a 3D model. These data were then integrated into the software tools of dSPACE GmbH and Altair Engineering GmbH, both of which were also part of the project.

The dSPACE software solutions, including traffic environment simulation, sensor simulation, and simulation control, were used to seamlessly integrate the 3D model created by AVES Reality into the simulation environment. Furthermore, dSPACE handled the antenna data for visualization in the simulation, as well as live and real-time simulation within the 3D environment, considering the antenna data.

Altair’s software also played a key role in the project. Altair’s advanced simulation and optimization tools complemented the dSPACE solutions by enabling detailed analyses and optimizations of antenna performance.

Through the combination of dSPACE and Altair’s expertise, the handling of antenna data in the simulation was optimized, and real-time simulation within the 3D environment was successfully implemented, significantly enhancing the quality and precision of antenna and OTA tests. Ultimately, dSPACE and Altair, with their comprehensive solutions, enabled the seamless integration of the maps and 3D data generated by AVES Reality into the existing simulation environments, facilitating extensive testing and analysis.

Results and Benefits
Through the collaboration, the German automotive manufacturer and its partners achieved the following advantages:

1. Increased Efficiency: The rapid generation of large 3D environments reduced the time needed for simulation preparation and execution.
2. Precision: The highly detailed models allowed for more accurate analysis of radio signal propagation and OTA performance, leading to better antenna designs and deeper testing of connectivity.
3. Integration: The seamless integration of AVES Reality’s data into dSPACE and Altair’s software tools improved user experience and extended the functionality of existing tools.
4. Realistic Test Scenarios: The precise reproduction of real-world physical conditions enabled realistic assessments of antenna and OTA performance in various urban environments.

Conclusion
The collaboration between AVES Reality and a leading German automotive manufacturer in the field of antenna and OTA simulation impressively demonstrates how modern technologies and partnerships can lead to innovative solutions. By efficiently utilizing satellite images and geodata and integrating them into proven simulation tools, significant progress has been made in simulating radio signals and OTA performance. This project serves as an excellent example of how technological innovation and cross-industry collaboration can lead to better outcomes.