INTERVIEW: Ralf Sauer, vice president of marketing and communications at IPG Automotive
IPG Automotive

Ralf Sauer, vice president of marketing and communications at IPG Automotive, explains that the company will be in Stuttgart to help customers take their real-world testing into the virtual world.

Please can you describe your company.

As a global leader in virtual test-driving technology, IPG Automotive develops innovative simulation solutions for vehicle development. Designed for seamless use, our software and hardware products can be applied throughout the entire development process, from proof of concept to validation and release. Our virtual prototyping technology facilitates the automotive systems engineering approach, allowing users to develop, test and validate new systems in a complete virtual vehicle. We are experts in the field of virtual development methods for application areas including autonomous vehicles, ADAS, powertrain and vehicle dynamics, and we are committed to providing excellent service to master the growing complexity in these domains and support the ‘shift left’ strategies of our customers. By taking real test driving into the virtual world as a complement to on-road testing, our company contributes significantly to technical progress and helps shape the mobility of tomorrow, like, for example, software-defined vehicles (SDV).

What will you present at the expo this June?

We will present numerous ADAS and AV applications in combination with the CarMaker product family, demonstrating how virtual test driving is enabled along the complete development process from SIL to HIL to VIL. Simulation scaling allows for the generation of enormous amounts of test kilometers, identification of critical edge cases and training of complex AI algorithms. In this regard, possibilities for scenario generation and variation as well as the latest advances for OpenSCENARIO and OpenDRIVE are presented. In addition, we will showcase cross-domain simulation solutions for the entire event chain, from perception and trajectory planning to actuation. Another focal point will be sensor technology, mapping all the way from an ideal sensor model to a highly detailed and real-time-capable RSI sensor simulation of radar, camera, lidar and ultrasonic sensors. Autonomous driving functions in commercial vehicles as well as V2X simulation solutions are other important topics. We will also present VIRTO, a virtual vehicle development tool suite that offers easy access to virtual test driving and simplifies vehicle development. As a superordinate data and workflow management platform, VIRTO consists of various apps that can be seamlessly connected to third-party tools and thus integrated into existing vehicle development processes. Thus, we are pursuing the goal of making simulation accessible for everyone, even across company borders. Our solutions are used by numerous well-known OEMs and Tier 1s in Germany, Europe and worldwide, and are an integral part of a wide range of development processes.

How are you helping to develop better C-V2X solutions?

Connected vehicles exchange information with each other, with the infrastructure of their environment and with other road users, summarized under the generic term cellular vehicle-to-everything communication (C-V2X). Combining a C-V2X testing solution with the simulation of virtual vehicle prototypes in CarMaker enables developers to test and validate vehicle communication using real scenarios in a purely virtual or lab environment. This helps minimize expensive and time-consuming field tests while maximizing their efficiency. In our CarMaker open integration and test platform, realistic virtual scenarios can be generated in which various types of road users can interact with each other. For this, the driving function under test can be connected with a C-V2X solution in the virtual vehicle prototype. The complete test automation reduces complexity and ensures that results are reproducible even for critical time and safety requirements.

Who do you hope to meet in Stuttgart?

We hope to have many interesting discussions with visitors, customers and partners from the Stuttgart area but also of course from around the world, as the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo attracts experts globally. As the topic of ADAS and AV is very diverse and complex, we are keen to gain further valuable insights into current challenges in the daily practice of the automotive industry and understand the needs/requirements of the automotive markets. We are always excited when our solutions can help to close specific gaps in the vehicle development process and thus contribute to optimized and sustainable vehicle development and increased safety of autonomous vehicles.

VISIT IPG AUTOMOTIVE ON BOOTH 6304

Back to News