dSPACE Adds Driver Monitoring Simulation to AURELION Platform
dSPACE's AURELION now simulates driver monitoring with animated 3D models and physics-based infrared cameras for reproducible DMS testing.
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What Happened
dSPACE is enhancing its AURELION software platform for sensor simulation and 3D visualization with a new solution for driver monitoring. The solution adds features to simulate the driver inside the vehicle and to realistically simulate the infrared (IR) camera. The development responds to increasing requirements such as those set by Euro NCAP and the EU General Safety Regulation (GSR).
The wide variety of human appearances and behaviors, plus the complexity of possible interactions, make deterministic test coverage with real test subjects virtually impossible. AURELION Driver Monitoring therefore relies on simulation-based approaches that replicate real sensor data while enabling reproducible tests. The solution combines animated 3D driver models with a physics-based infrared camera simulation, allowing typical DMS applications to be analyzed under controlled and variable conditions. The simulation accounts for various camera and driver configurations, driving scenarios, and environmental and lighting conditions, and supports common near-infrared sensor concepts.
- Detection of gaze direction
- Detection of attention
- Detection of fatigue
AURELION Driver Monitoring is integrated into the existing dSPACE tool chain. It supports end-to-end workflows, from scenario creation to ECU validation. The solution can be used in SIL and HIL environments and enables the combination of sensor data, restbus signals, and ground-truth information for comprehensive testing.
“Initial practical applications show that simulated infrared image data can be successfully fed into and processed by commercial DMS algorithms. With AURELION Driver Monitoring, we offer a solution for the early, automatable, and reproducible validation of driver monitoring systems.”
Why this matters
Driver monitoring systems are becoming mandatory safety features under Euro NCAP and the EU General Safety Regulation, but testing them with real people is impractical. dSPACE's simulation lets engineers validate gaze, attention, and fatigue detection automatically and reproducibly in SIL and HIL environments, speeding up development and cutting reliance on costly test setups.
Terms in This Story
- DMS
- Driver Monitoring System; sensors and software that track the driver's eyes, face, and attention to detect drowsiness or distraction.
- IR camera
- Infrared camera; captures images using infrared light, commonly used for driver monitoring in low-light conditions.
- SIL
- Software-in-the-loop; a testing method where the system under test runs as pure software simulation.
- HIL
- Hardware-in-the-loop; a testing method where real hardware interacts with simulated signals.
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