Page 21 - Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (January 2020)

Software/Simulation

Restructuring for

Autonomy

by Terry Costlow

At the dSPACE World Conference, engineers gained new
insights into digital development, virtual design and testing.

The rapid cadence of new automotive technologies Andy Griffiths, chief engineer, software and system
continues to drive massive change. Automakers are integration and test, Jaguar Land Rover, told SAE’s
revamping corporate structures while simultaneously Autonomous Vehicle Engineering. “Every engineering
altering vehicle architectures, as engineers strive to manager is being trained in key elements of software,
meet the demands of autonomy, connectivity, elec- test and validation.”
trification and advanced safety. Several speakers at the event noted that the rapidly
The transformations driven by the escalating expanding role of digital design tools is prompting
impact of electronics were a central focus for automo- similar restructurings in design, development and test
tive executives who addressed the recent dSPACE World processes. Streamlining processes and ensuring that
Conference, held in Munich. The impact is reaching tests can be repeated and reused are among driving
into the upper layers of corporate staffs. At BMW, for
example, new training is endowing every manager with
a deeper understanding of electronic technologies and
digital design tools.
“All managers have to go through a course in elec-
tronics and software,” said Alejandro Vukotich, senior
VP, fully automated driving, at BMW AG. “They even
need to take a test after each module to ensure that
people actually learn what’s in the coursework.”
Even engineers are being retrained. Specialists in
mechanical systems are getting updates in the latest
digital technologies, which include simulation and
validation, along with fundamentals of digital technol-
ogies. OEMs that have added thousands of electronics
engineers and programmers in recent decades now
are making sure that other specialists understand how
digital devices interact with vehicle mechanics. dSPACE
“One challenge has been with our mechani- The inaugural dSPACE World Conference explored how engineers can best
cal-engineering team – they have been training them- use digital tools to meet new requirements for simulation, validation and
selves not to be afraid of electronics and software,” homologation of automated and electric vehicles.

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