― Enables remotely operated joint digital prototyping and a new type of automotive development for the post-coronavirus world ―
KAWASAKI―Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (hereinafter TDSL) has released its Distributed Co-Simulation Platform (VenetDCP*1) which evolves model-based development, a development methodology that is gaining in popularity with automakers and parts suppliers. VenetDCP enables multi-company joint digital prototyping of automotive control systems in cyberspace. TDSL strives to offer new forms of automotive development for the post-coronavirus world and contribute to their advancement.
In recent years, model-based development has become increasingly popular for automotive control systems. Model based development uses simulations of vehicular component models and external models that emulate various traffic conditions surrounding the vehicle (roads, pedestrians, bicycles, traffic signs, other cars, etc.). Since this helps to accelerate development and prevent costly reworks, model-based development is becoming more prevalent in the development of individual vehicular components.
At the same time, autonomous driving cars and other cars created in recent years achieve their capabilities through the interconnectedness of multiple vehicular components and systems. This interconnectedness often involves insufficient specifications and misunderstandings, and these errors are overlooked once the testing stage for the actual car begins, which can cause costly reworks. Because of this, there is greater demand for large-scale simulations that connect multiple models owned by automakers and parts suppliers, to simulate the entire vehicle.
VenetDCP by TDSL “connects” the “distributed” models and simulation tools owned by automakers and parts suppliers and joins them together in cyberspace. VenetDCP enables large-scale simulation in the initial development phase for complex automotive control systems such as autonomous driving and advanced safety systems. VenetDCP helps to cut down on costly reworks and improves both quality and productivity.
VenetDCP is capable of connecting many different simulation tools that are used in automotive control systems development, including MATLAB®/Simulink®by MathWorks in the US. VenetDCP is compliant with FMI (Functional Mock-up Interface)*2 which is a global standard for model interoperability between different types of simulation tools. It improves the affinity of connections between tools and enables large-scale distributed co-simulations.
TDSL is now a member of prostep ivip Association*3(German) which defines standards for mechanisms and processes for the distribution and co-simulation of models between multiple companies. In Japan, TDSL has endorsed the “Enrichment of SURIAWASE 2.0”*4 initiative announced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in April 2018 and will be working to help further its activities. Doing so, TDSL aims to develop and establish a standard platform for automakers and parts suppliers to work together on digital prototypes for automotive control systems.
TDSL has also reached a basic agreement with Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd. (ISID) to conduct joint marketing for VenetDCP and to continue discussion on a collaborative structure such as defining the two companies’ roles pertaining to VenetDCP and related services. This collaboration aims to integrate VenetDCP with iQUAVIS (“ai-quavis” design and development visualization tool) provided by ISID, cloud CAE solutions, and other such solutions to reduce costs and improve efficiency in automotive control systems development.
VenetDCP is one of the Toshiba SPINEX*5 industrial IoT services*6 that were announced as upcoming releases at the Toshiba Group’s FY2019 Technology Strategy Briefing in November 2019.
TDSL believes that as global society and business environments change along with the spread of the novel coronavirus, it will be increasingly important for the continuity and advancement of business that various companies connect organically through networks and collaborate by sharing design information and knowledge with each other. TDSL will continue to provide a global standard platform for automakers and parts suppliers to share digital prototypes of automotive control systems in cyberspace through CPS technology that integrates cyber world with physical systems. Doing so, TDSL will be helping to drive the advancement of the automotive industry in the post-coronavirus world.
Comments on the release of VenetDCP were received from the following companies and groups.
Yasuhiro Harada, Supreme Principal Engineer, Integrated Control System Development Div. at Mazda Motor Corporation
Mazda has been engaged in efforts to share simulations and models between our own design departments and our parts suppliers utilizing knowledge in virtual simulations and model-based development accumulated through Mazda Digital Innovation (MDI) beginning in the mid-1990s. Through METI’s SURIAWASE 2.0 initiative, we have also been involved in creating international standard rules for automotive development using virtual simulations.
I believe that VenetDCP by Toshiba Digital Solutions is highly promising as an effective tool to spread and accelerate collaboration between companies on future model-based development.
Hirohisa Iwamoto, Senior Executive Officer & Division Director of Manufacturing Industry Business Operations at Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd.
iQUAVIS developed and provided by Information Services International-Dentsu is Japan’s first conceptual design support system. It can identify areas where joint design considerations are needed in the conceptual design phase for complex system products such as cars and precision machinery and indicate the optimal design procedure to follow.
We will now be able to help client companies working on model-based development including iQUAVIS to further improve the efficiency of their design review processes by providing VenetDCP by Toshiba Digital Solutions as a solution.
Dr. Alain Pfouga, General Manager at prostep ivip Association
We are grateful that Toshiba Digital Solutions is accelerating the efforts to take our collective digitization initiatives to a more global scale. Welcome aboard!
Figure 1: Schematic of the Distributed Co-Simulation Platform
Figure 2: Main features of VenetDCP
- [Note]
*1 VenetDCP (DCP: Distributed Co-simulation Platform)
*2 FMI: https://fmi-standard.org/
*3 prostep ivip Association: https://www.prostep.org/en/
*4 News release by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on April 4, 2018 METI Compiles Future Policy Titled Enrichment of SURIAWASE 2.0 for Automobile Industry, an outcome of the Study Group for Ideal Approaches to Model Utilization in the Automobile Industry.
https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2018/0404_001.html
*5 Toshiba SPINEX is the collective name of industrial IoT services based on Toshiba IoT Reference Architecture. These services are offered with the aim of providing speedy services that also ensure a high level of serviceability by utilizing global standards-compliant Toshiba IoT Reference Architecture.
*6 VenetDCP is one of the Toshiba SPINEX services announced for future release at the Toshiba Group FY2019 Technology Strategy Briefing on November 28, 2019. It is categorized as an on-board control model distributed co-simulation platform for the manufacturing industry.
https://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2019_11/pr2801.htm
*7 Communication specifications describe the data format for transmission, communication cycle, and the sender and receiver. (Figure 1, 2)
*8 Bus connectors are function modules that transmit and receive data according to communication specifications. (Figure 1, 2)
* VenetDCP is a registered trademark or trademark of Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation in Japan.
* iQUAVIS is a registered trademark of Information Services International-Dentsu, Ltd.
* MATLAB and Simulink are registered trademarks of The MathWorks, Inc.
* In some cases other company names and product names in this news release are being used as trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Distributed Co-Simulation Platform
https://www.toshiba-sol.co.jp/en/industry/venetdcp/index.htm
