A Requirement-based Methodology for Selecting Simulation Solutions in C-ITS Safety Applications

Abstract In an era imbued by rapid technological advancements, Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) applications will soon play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency, safety, and overall intelligence in transportation systems. However, the development and testing of these applications pose challenges when conducted in the real-world. Nowadays, simulation tools are capable of offering a controlled and realistic environment, allowing the testing and validation of C-ITS applications. Despite their importance in the process path of development of C-ITS applications, simulation tools are often selected without the application of any particular or substantiated criteria. Choices are often driven solely by simulator popularity or familiarity rather than a careful analysis of the functional requirements of the intended application use case. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a methodology to aid practitioners and researchers in selecting simulation solutions that seamlessly align with the distinct requirements of a C-ITS Safety Application (SA). The methodology begins by proposing a set of functional requirements that are essential to the experimental testing of C-ITS SA through virtual simulations. These requirements serve as the foundation for evaluating simulation solutions and describing use cases, permitting the definition of different levels of relevance for each specific requisite. As both simulation solutions and use cases can be assessed under the same set of requirements, practitioners can identify the optimal simulation solution for testing safety in a particular use case, fostering informed decision-making in simulation tool selection.