Autonomous vehicle software testing

Developing software for self-driving vehicles is an important and interesting challenge. If you’re an autonomous vehicle software developer, Darwin is here to help.

The challenges of testing CAV software

It’s essential for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to operate as expected when they’re on the road. This means that autonomous driving software must be tested in a real-world setting, with real cars, rather than only being tested in simulations.

However, it can be difficult to carry out real-world tests of software for autonomous vehicles, as these tests require:

• specialised equipment, i.e. an autonomous-ready vehicle that can be reprogrammed with the software under development
• a suitable location, i.e. a test route where autonomous driving software can safely and legally be tested in an actual vehicle, with challenges and conditions similar to those the software would face on public roads
• monitoring by an engineer with real-world experience of autonomous driving

Startups and academic institutions often struggle to fulfil these conditions. Vehicles equipped for autonomous driving are expensive, and it can be difficult to find a location for testing that complies with safety regulations. This means that autonomous driving software is often tested in simulations, without taking the crucial step of testing in real-world conditions.

How Darwin can help

Darwin can provide you with everything you need to test your autonomous driving software in the real world.

The Darwin SatCom Lab, located at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in the UK and established in partnership with O2, is a space designed specifically for testing autonomous vehicle technology. At the lab, we offer:

• A testing vehicle: an autonomous-ready, reprogrammable Renault Twizy with cutting-edge sensors
• A trained engineer with extensive autonomous vehicle experience
• A route for real-world testing of your self-driving vehicle software
• Knowledge gained from various autonomous driving projects, including our Darwin Autonomous Shuttle, which has driven autonomously on public roads for over two years
• Vehicle data collection and analysis
• A detailed report on the results of your testing

If you’d like to talk about testing your self-driving software using our vehicles at Harwell, contact us.