Simulation framework for the development of autonomous small scale vehicles

The development and validation of highly automated driving functions towards autonomous driving requires efficient frameworks to reduce the necessity of expensive, time-consuming and dangerous real test drives. This applies for the development of autonomous small scale as well as real scale vehicles. In the present work we introduce a simulation framework for the development and virtual validation of small scale vehicles to tackle this issue. At the concrete challenge of the student competition AUDI Autonomous Driving Cup, we demonstrate how a closed world can be transformed into appropriate simulation models in order to stimulate higher level automated driving functions. The framework is demonstrated at the example of highly automated driving functions on a small scale vehicle. At the end, we transfer the important results to the virtual validation of real scale autonomous vehicles.