Investigating the Role of Simulation in the Approval Process of Automated Vehicles for Defined Operational Domains

This paper investigates the role of simulation in the approval process of automated vehicles for defined Operational Domains (OD), focusing on the credible simulation of the Operational Design Domain (ODD), i.e., capabilities of the automated vehicle, and the OD, i.e., the actual environment. Considering current regulations and standards, e.g., EU 2022/1426 and ISO 34503, requirements for simulations are examined considering the OD approval process. The 6-layer model from the VVM project is used to tructure the requirements for mapping elements of the OD. The approach is demonstrated for the AUTOGVZ project, which aims to automate existing truck traffic in a freight village and bring it into regular operation, using the Model-in-the-Loop simulation toolchain GEMSTAR to map the OD and the automated vehicle. This includes mapping the route on the basis of existing Open Street Map data and integrating a realistic traffic model generated with the traffic simulation software SUMO. The first results highlight the suitability of the approach for initial OD assessment and approval. Since our approach focuses on perception and can incorporate different sensor and environment models, it can be scaled to larger operating areas.